


The Forgotten Jedi

by DragonSh1n0b1



Series: General Kirimoto and the 337th [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Background Relationships, Constructive Criticism Welcome, How Do I Tag, I'm not sorry, Mace is a bit of a dick, Medical Inaccuracies, My First Work in This Fandom, My writing is a mess, No Beta We Die Like Clones, OC needs a hug, Original Character Death(s), possible ooc, probably
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:07:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 69
Words: 102,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23887945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonSh1n0b1/pseuds/DragonSh1n0b1
Summary: A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...Obi-wan Kenobi found a child with strange force powers. He took the child to the temple and had her raised to be a jedi as the two grew close.Now, the clone wars take hold on the galaxy, and all are forced into new roles. Jedi Padawan Syntrian Kirimoto, having lost her master, is assigned to Jedi Master Obi-wan Kenobi to finish her training.Matched with CC-22-2475 "Shade", she makes her way into history as she changes its course. What will she find, and what will she change?
Series: General Kirimoto and the 337th [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2139762
Comments: 9
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter One

I could hear people drawing near. There were more around than normal. A few of them even felt different than normal. But that's alright, I'm really good at hiding. They won't find me. 

I sneak around, hoping to snag a piece of fruit or something else off the stands. I knew that even if I was seen, I would be able to get away. I reached for my meal, only to freeze in place. A man was staring at me, and he seemed to be from elsewhere. I grabbed the snack and ran, getting a bad feeling from him. 

I could hear calls for a thief, and someone began to run after me. I looked back, seeing the man from before. My short legs could only carry me so fast and he was catching up. I jumped over a couple branches, and had some of the branches fall in their way. I made sure he wasn't going to catch me. It was a wonder he had even noticed me at all. I felt him calling out to me, yet it only made me want to hid more. So I closed myself off to him. He seems different. I have a feeling he's going to try to find me. 

I kept running, uncertain of where I should go? Back to my cave? Or will he find me there? I didn't even realize I had stopped to wonder about these things. Not until a hand landed on my shoulder and I jumped. It was the man again, only out of breath. 

"You're rather hard to find." He spoke between breaths. I took a few steps back, uncertain and scared. He moved towards me again. I ran. "No no no no. Please don't run away!" He called behind me. I kept running, letting myself knock over larger branches and rocks as I ran pass. Would that slow him? I don't wanna go back there, the villagers don't like me. I was nearing the cliffs, that's not good.

"Hey, please stop! I just want to talk to you!" He was still panting. It wasn't until I got to the cliff edge that I had run out of options. He seemed to have me cornered. I thought about scaling the cliff, but as I turned I found myself in the air. I squealed, having not known that anyone else could do that. I turned back to him. His hand was raised towards me and he seemed to be concentrating.

"W-who are you? What do you want from me?!" I cried out, scared. My eyes started to tear up. 

He put me down, then came over to me. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you. I just want to talk." He tried to calm me down. It didn't work too well. Nothing worked until he pulled something from his robe. He gave it to me. It was sweet. I stopped crying and stared at him. 

"Calm now?" I nodded, enjoying the sweet thing he had given me. "Could you tell me you name?" I shook my head. "You don't want to tell me? Or is it that you don't know it?" He looked thoughtful. "You don't know your name do you?" I shook my head sadly. "Well, then we'll just have to figure something out. Come on, let's get back to town, I'll keep you safe." He had a warm smile as he held out his hand. I hesitated before grabbing it. 

"Mister. You never told me your name." 

"I'm Obi-wan Kenobi. A Jedi." He began as we started walking back to town. 

"Whats a Jedi?" I fumbled out.

He chuckled, "That will take time to explain young one. And I will tell you, but later. For now, what you need to know is that I believe that you could be one." We were almost back to the village, and I felt my apprehension growing. 

"You're afraid?" He asked. 

"The villagers don't like me very much." I mumbled. 

He chuckled. "That's because you were stealing their food. I think you'll get a better reception now that you've stopped that." I gave him a weird look. 

"So Governor Requilam, that's why I ask that you let me take her with me. Your problems will be solved and we Jedi gain a new member."

The Governor sighed. "As true as that is. I fear what would happen should we allow the last remaining member of the late royal family leave our planet. The Kirimoto's have ruled this planet for generations."

"I'll admit I don't know much about your planet but how can you tell that she is who you think she is?"

"Master Jedi. On this planet, you can probably tell that the people are rather similar to your own. Yet we have long since known that a child born on this planet that has pointed ears is of royal blood. Oddly enough, though we can't find a reason for it, even if the next heir is from a completely different bloodline, their children will still end up with them." Obi-wan seemed to be thinking.

"I see your point, but if that's the case, then shouldn't we be able to set up a new ruling family?"

"We have tried in the past year, and yet all attempts have failed." The fat man paused, looking at me as I played with something. "Perhaps, now that Kirimoto here has shown up, we could officially have her chose someone? Then she would be free to leave with you."

"Do you already have candidates for such a position?" Obi-wan asked. 

The fat man laughed. "In times past, when such a situation would occur, we would choose from amongst the royal advisors. If you would excuse me, I shall fetch them." The fat man left. Then I saw something interesting. I pulled it towards me, but Obi-wan noticed. He seemed amused. He came over to me as I caught it. The weird stick was heavy. It also had weird things poking out. 

"Enjoying yourself?" He asked, taking the weird stick. "This is my lightsaber, and you shouldn't play with it without training. You could hurt yourself."

"L-lightsaber?" I stumbled. "But its not light!" I complained. He laughed, showing me a button. He pushed it and a blue line came out of it. I smiled as the hum reached my ears. 

"This is a Jedi's weapon. But it's also very dangerous. Someday, I hope you'll have your own." 

"I will?" I asked excitedly. "Will it be like yours?"

"Yes, and no." He began. "Every Jedi has one, and they all follow the same basic template. Yet, at the same time, each and every one is unique to the Jedi that made it." I was looking at him in wonder. 

Then the door opened and in came many people. Some of them gave me good feelings and others felt scary. The fat man told me I would have to choose someone out of these. I wasn't sure what I was choosing, but I think I'm suppose to choose someone nice. I looked them over. The first two had the same face. But they felt different. The first one was angry but the second one was happy. But I didn't like them. The next person was a lady with grey hair. She didn't seem that old. I got the feeling that she was kind and caring. I liked her. The next one felt dark and scary. And it felt like it was pointed to me. I grabbed onto Obi-wan so he could protect me. The next one was another lady, but she felt unhappy. Then came a happy feeling man. He reminded me of the kind lady. The last one was another man. He felt annoyed. I looked back up at Obi-wan. He looked back at me. 

I was picked up, and I pointed at the ones I thought felt nicer than the others. I think the fat man wondered how I came to my choice. The fat man told the others to leave, and congratulated the nice two. He told them that they had been chosen to lead. Then he explained who I was. They looked at me sadly. I didn't like that so I tried to hide myself in Obi-wan's arms. 

"Child, tell me. How did you come to your decision? You have said nothing." The fat man asked. I looked to Obi-wan wan, wondering if it was alright to tell him. He nodded. 

"They felt like they were nice. The others felt scary. Like the one man with the dark hair. He was really scary." The fat man didn't like that. 

"Thank you for telling me. For now, you two are free to go, however, I would like you to stay for tomorrow's festivities." He said. Then he left, and Obi-wan took me to where he was staying. It was a big room and had many things to play with. It was fun.


	2. Chapter Two

"Hey Obi?" I asked. 

He looked up, "Yes?"

"What's it like, with the jedi?" I asked. Nervous. We were walking to a raised platform. The governor had requested that we stop by before departing. 

He chuckled. "You'll find out soon enough. I'll tell you more once I've gotten into contact with the council. For now, we have a ceremony to attend. And you have a name to receive." He smiled brightly. I copied it. 

"You mean I get one? People just call me thief or kid."

"Everyone has a name. You just don't know yours." We arrived, and they seemed to be ready. Obi-wan whispered to the Governor before we all sat down. 

"Attention please." He began. "I have called this meeting to tell you all that the last of the Royals has been found." He motioned to me. I went up to join him, scared. "As you can see, she is not even old enough to have gone through the public naming ceremony, and yet, the Jedi have taken an interest in her. As much a tragedy the lost of her family was, our leader cannot be a nameless child. Therefore, as we stand here, Mistress Kirimoto has chosen those who will lead us to the new age. In accordance with her words, Erwin Girero and Ricara Mitake shall begin a new line that I now dub the Mitarero line. Furthermore, we will send this nameless child of royal blood off with her naming ceremony." There were cheers from all about. He approached me and crouched down, bowing before me. I watched as everyone else did as well. 

"The last remaining child of the Kirimoto's. Your naming ceremony has come. It is here, in the public eye, that we reveal your name." They were chanting softly. "From this day forth, you are known as Syntrian. Wear your name with pride."

It was late as Obi-wan contacted the council. He had managed to acquire a ship from the Governor, and he had put Syntrian to bed a few minutes ago. She was worn out from the days events. The hologram flickered to life as he got into contact with the council. 

"Master Kenobi. Good it is to see you safe. News you have?" Yoda stated. 

"Yes master. After crashing on Vindussuu, I heard rumors of a child who was able to escape anyone. As I searched for a way off this planet, I happened to come across her. It would seem that her skills of evasion were because of her ability to manipulate the force unthinkingly. I would.." He trail off as her heard a loud bang coming from where he had laid her down at. 

"What was that?" Windu asked. Obi-wan took the portable communications device with him as he went to check on his ward. Even the older Masters were surprised at what they saw. As the girl slept, a few smaller items floated around her, and a necklace that he hadn't noticed earlier was pulling at it's chain. Kenobi felt that the crystal at the end was at the center of the concentration of force. 

"Very powerful in the force she is. A problem she could become."

Windu continued, "Bring the girl in. We shall decide if she will train or not once we see her." Obi-wan nodded, and the transmission cut off. He stood there, wondering what she would grow up to be. Had had a faint smile as he set the autopilot, and turned in for the night. 

It's only been a couple days and we've reached the temple that Obi-wan keeps talking about. On the trip here, apparently I kept scaring him, though I don't know why. He says that I have an unusual ability to hide myself from other force users. He even tried to use a scanner, and was surprised when it had trouble picking me up. But then I stopped thinking about wanting to hide and it beeped to life. Obi-wan said that I'll have to let the council sense me if I wanted in. I didn't know if that sounded like a good idea. 

I was amazed by the temple. It was huge and there were so many Jedi here. They were all kinds of races too! Obi-wan laughed at me a few times, but he just kept leading me through the halls. There were several flights of stairs and a lift that we had to use. Then we came to a big circular room. There were a bunch of chairs and most of them seemed to be filled. I shrunk back. Suddenly not wanting to be here. Obi-wan sighed. 

"The youngling, this is?" A small green man stated. 

Obi-wan lead me to the center of the room. "Yes, master Yoda."

"Tell me child. Do you believe you could be a Jedi?" It was a human with dark skin. 

"Obi seems to think I can, and I trust him." I mumbled, wanting to hide. They all seemed to focus for a moment.

"Strange it is. Sense your presence, I cannot." Yoda stated. 

Obi-wan sighed, and nudged me. "Don't be afraid. I promise they won't hurt you." I thought about it for a moment as he talked to the others. "Masters. The reason you can't sense her is because she seems to have an unusual ability." I remembered what he told me earlier, about having to be brave if I wanted to be a Jedi. Obi-wan said there would be tests. Is this one? I swallowed. Shakily gathering up enough courage to stand before them. I hadn't noticed that they kept speaking until someone cried out in surprise. 

"Strange this is, Young Kenobi. Trained the child must be. A danger to others she may become."

"I agree. If we don't train the girl, then our enemies could try to take advantage of her and turn her against us."

"Young one," One of the others started. "What is your name?"

"My name?" I mumbled. He nodded. 

I swallowed again, uncertain. "Syntrian Kirimoto."

"Well, Syntrian. We welcome you to our temple. Kenobi will show you to your room, before taking you to meet the other younglings." I nodded, noting that Obi-wan bowed. 

He talked as he lead me through the many halls. He said that I would have a lot of studying to do and that I would also have training. But he also told me that if I needed to talk, he would try to be available. I relaxed a bit when I heard that. He lead me to a small room, where he had me hold my hand over the lock and focus. He said something about the room now being registered to me. I wondered what that meant. Inside, there were a couple droids about. They seemed to be cleaning. He asked one of them to keep an eye on me for a few days while I learned my way around. Then he took me off to meet the other younglings. 

We entered a large room. Inside, there seemed to be a couple adults, and we were greeted by one of them. 

"I assume this is our newest Youngling?" She said, motioning to me. Obi-wan nodded before leaving.

The woman kneeled down to look at me. "I've been filled in with what we know about you. For now, Syntrian, you'll be with they newest group of younglings. Just like yourself, they too came to the temple not long ago." She smiled, leading me over to a group. I found myself trying to hide again. At least no one will know how scared I am. 

"Ah, this must be Syntrian. Welcome young one." This man was old, and had a long grey beard. "I'll be one of the master in charge of your training until you're old enough to become a Padawan. My name is Vas Mor." He had me sit in the group and he began a lesson. I found it interesting. More so than the others it seemed. 

That night, Obi-wan came to check on me. He told me that he was going somewhere soon and we wouldn't be able to talk for a while. It made me sad, but there wasn't anything I could do about it. I wondered if I was going to be able to see him again soon as I fell asleep.


	3. Chapter Three

I've been here a few years now. Apparently, my class is going to go get their lightsaber crystals soon. I wondered what it would be like. But I felt like that wasn't right. At least not for me. Maybe Master Kenobi could help me figure this out? But he's not around at the moment. I think he told me he was going off somewhere with a Padawan. I sighed, not knowing what to do. Maybe?...

I sighed, and got to my feet. Perhaps I could talk to one of the other Masters? I walked, wondering who I could find. I ended up bumping into Yoda. 

"Troubled, you seem. Bothering you, something is." He stated. I looked down to him, figuring that if he asked it wouldn't be a bother. 

"Yes master. It's just. We've been told that we're going to get to find our crystals soon. But somehow, it doesn't feel like I need to go anywhere to find mine." 

"Hmm, The force. Telling you something, it may be. Believe your group leaves in a few days, I do. Find your answer, you will." He left me with more questions than he answered. I wondered what he meant. 

Three days later and we were on our way to Ilum. Yet, it still felt wrong. A few of the others were excited. But I felt as though this wasn't where I needed to be going. Obi-wan had returned from his mission last night, so he was on the who had to go with us. I didn't mind, and most of the others seemed to enjoy talking to him. I took to wandering about the ship, having not really gotten along with this particular group. I ended up finding what seemed to be a storage room of sorts, and there was a droid in there. He seemed to be organizing the various drawers. I wonder what's in them.

"You're not suppose to be in here yet." An amused chuckle came from behind. 

I turned to face him. "Sorry master Kenobi. I was just exploring the ship."

"I know, but you should still be with the others."

My face fell, "I know that. But it's not like they would be talking to me anyway. Most of the younglings don't like me because of how easily I can use the force compared to them."

"That's just because you have more experience. In time, they'll realise this and stop their foolishness." I smiled slightly, glad that he had come to find me. We walked back together, and we talked a bit. I found it nice, as we hadn't been able to speak recently. 

"It looks like we'll be reaching the planet shortly, are you ready?" He asked, checking the nav computer as we reached the front of the ship.

"I suppose, though I get the feeling that I didn't need to take this trip to get a crystal." He gave me a curious expression. But Obi-wan looked like he knew something. I wonder what it was. 

"Why don't you meditate on it for a while until we reach the planet. Perhaps you'll be able to figure something out." He smiled. I thought about it for a minute, then decided he was probably right. And so I did just that. I cleared my mind and found that I was focusing on my necklace. The same one that I assume my parents gave me before dying. I always wondered what it was, but I figure it's just a basic stone. That can't be the answer. 

I had pondered the feeling for well over an hour before we reached Ilum. Obi-wan had us disembark and walk through the freezing cold. We were told to focus on an ice wall, so we did. It came down easily. We found master Yoda standing inside. He began by explaining a few things. Then he did a few motions which caused the door to open. He had everyone run inside. I took a few steps, then froze. Something having become clear. It was sharper here. This places connection with the force made it easier to tell what I was feeling. 

"Is something wrong, young one?" Obi-wan stated. They were both looking at me. I stood there a moment before reaching down for the stone on my necklace. I held it out and it shimmered a bit. I had the feeling I was right. 

"Masters." I whispered. "I think I've had my crystal with me all along." I heard a quiet 'oh' come from Obi-wan and felt a curious gaze from Yoda. 

"Strange, this is. Yet curious. Wonder, I do, what your lightsaber will be." Yoda chimed in. "For now, wait for the others, we must." I sat there, waiting for the others. I watched the door slowly begin to freeze. It was half ways frozen by the time the first one came out. 

"Aww man. Here I thought I was the first one done." He complained. 

"You were the first one out." I mumbled. "Mine wasn't in there." I could tell he was glaring at me as I looked towards the ground. His irritation fully pointed towards me. Yoda inspected his crystal, and found that it was in fact real. A few minutes before the next one came out. The final two took nearly the whole time before they came out. Then Yoda made a brief speech before we were allowed to get back on the ship. 

Back on the ship, we were brought to the storage area I had found earlier. The droid appeared and it was said that he was going to help us build our lightsabers. He asked to see our crystals, just to prove that we had them, and all the others held theirs out eagerly. I took a few extra seconds to take off the necklace. 

"Oh, this isn't a standard kyber crystal. May I?" He asked, wanting to examine it. "How rare!" He exclaimed after a few minutes. 

"What is it?" Obi-wan asked. 

The droid chuckled? "It appears this youngling has found herself a ghostfire crystal." He turned to me. "Tell me, where did you get this?"

"I've always had it. Why?"

Obi-wan answered. "Ghostfire crystals are incredibly rare. in fact they're only found in a few spots on a couple planets in the outer rim. Which makes it even more interesting that you had one with you when I found you in far from anywhere like that."

"It would seem that it's even ready to be used, though I wouldn't know how. Normally this takes days of meditation on the crystals themselves when they aren't taken from one of the normal spots." The two talked for a few minutes yet before we got back to the topic at hand. 

"Anyway. I am here to aid you in creating your lightsabers." He activated a hologram. "Each one is unique to the jedi who crafted it. Each, made to fit a person. So tell me child. What will make you strong?" He asked, pointed towards me. I had no idea what to say, so I stood quietly, thinking. I closed my eyes, trying to picture what it would look like. I got a view of the crystal, then the lightsaber began to come together. Suddenly I knew what it would look like. I relayed this information to the droid. He then rushed about trying to find various things. Eventually he returned with a drawer with everything that would be needed. He did the same for the other six in the group. 

He then had us spread around the room, staying away from the storage area, and brought up a hologram for how to construct our lightsabers. It looked simple enough, so I tried to focus on its construction. The pieces clicked together, but it didn't feel right. I pulled it apart again, only to find that I mixed up a couple pieces. I looked around, seeing that the others were having difficulty getting theirs to even line up properly. I wondered why I could do it but they couldn't.

"You seem troubled." Obi-wan stated, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I sighed, "I just can't help but wonder why this seems to come so easily for me when everyone else seems to struggle."

He thought a moment. "It's our differences that make us who we are. You may excel in something another doesn't but that doesn't mean the opposite isn't true. From what I hear, you do surprisingly well in training and practical applications, but your studies seem to come harder. This is simply because you have a predisposition towards that area. The others may not be getting your grades in those areas, but they are improving. Now, lets try again." He stated, a warm smile on his face. I nodded, once more focused on my lightsaber. 

I smiled brightly when I got it after another ten or so attempts. Obi-wan seemed to have a small grin on his face as well. 

"Very well done." The droid stated. "Go ahead and light it. I haven't seen a ghostfire saber in over a melliena." I nodded, taking a few steps back. I had the attention of everyone in the room. Even though they don't like me, they still seemed interested. I took a few deep breaths before igniting it. At first, almost everyone thought it was malfunctioning, as it made no hum and seemed invisible. But then I noticed that I could see it oh so faintly. It didn't have a color, and it's soundlessness would be interesting. I waved it around a few times and it tripped everyone out. 

"Whoa! Cool!" One of the others stated. They seemed impressed, and even Obi-wan looked curious.


	4. Chapter Four

"Thank you for joining us today, young one." One of the masters greeted as I stood in the center of the council chambers. I wasn't sure why I was here, though I was getting a strange feeling from the man standing at the edge of the room.

"Masters. If I may," I began. I got a nod to continue. "Why am I here? I doubt you called me up here just to talk." The motioned to the strange feeling man, who proceeded to step forward. 

"Master Vall here has decided to take you as his padawan after seeing last weeks tournament. Therefore, you will be assigned to him until your training is complete." Another one of the masters stated. I had a small grin on my face, and I'm sure they could feel my excitement. They seemed to speak for a few minutes before we were allowed to leave. I could hear him muttering to himself about something or other, but that was alright. 

"Padawan Kirimoto." He barked suddenly. "How old are you?" I raised an eyebrow. That was his first question?

"Twelve?" He didn't seem to enjoy that one, and as such, seemed to grow annoyed. But I wonder why? I thought that most of the masters had some say in which padawan they got. If so, why didn't he seem to know anything about me? He just lead me to my now quarters, which were now connected to his, and left me to retrieve my things. I didn't see him again until nightfall, when he stated that we were going on a mission soon and that I needed to be prepared. 

We ended up on a small planet. Apparently we were suppose to help the locals fight off the separatist. It seemed easy enough, though I wasn't too sure how the two of us were going to do this. Master Vall spoke his plan, but when I pointed out another option he glared at me and told me not to question him. I got the feeling that I wasn't going to like this man very much. Nonetheless I did my job to the best of my abilities, only for him to scold me for being 'sloppy'. When I tried to argue that I wasn't, he said I was being insubordinate. After that, I ended up just giving up on arguing with him today. 

So now I sat in my quarters, attempting to meditate and clear my mind. It wasn't going to well. Perhaps we just got off to a bad start? I sighed doubting it. I tried to calm my mind, and was lucky. I managed to get myself to meditate. Only for that to be interrupted by my door swooshing open. 

"Padawan." The demanding voice of my master stated. 

"Yes?" I questioned, slightly annoyed that my meditation was interrupted. 

He was glaring at me as the door closed. "Do you not know how to control yourself?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, not even having a clue as to what he could be referring to. 

He growled. "Never before have I seen anyone who uses the force so casually as you do. It is an affront to our beliefs. I would have you control yourself."

I sighed, now facing him, a sour expression on my face. "Master." I began venomously, "I don't know why you think you get to control every moment of what I do, but not only does the council see nothing wrong with this particular non issue, but what your saying is that I should be ignoring what is basically instinct?!" My voice was starting to swell, and I knew of this argument were to progress, then the ship's crew would start to take notice.

"I will not stand to be disrespected like this by my own padawan! You will listen to what I tell you are things won't go so smoothly for you!"

"Master!" I countered. "It's not that I don't respect you as my master, but you seem to be trying to treat me like a servant or a tiny child! Damn it! You haven't even called me by my name since we met!" He glared darkly at me, and I got a rather sinister feel from him. He approached me slowly. I got to my feet and backed up, feeling threatened. I started to panic when he was right in front of me. He grabbed my neck, pushing me to the wall. 

"You WILL listen to me, or I Will be sure to dispose of you." He said darkly before storming off. I could do nothing but rub the place his hand was for a few moments as I regained my composure. Why was he even allowed to have a padawan? What was the council thinking?

I sighed, not knowing what to do. In the three days since that first incident, he's insisted that I look more like a padawan. Apparently that meant that I had to pull my hair up and look more dignified. He also got annoyed with me every time I used the force unconsciously. I tried to call the temple, but it seems like communications are blocked. I really hope that we'll get somewhere I can talk to Obi-wan soon. 

Speaking of, He hates it when I refer to the others by their first names instead of Master. The first time I told him that Obi-wan and I were friends, he nearly hit me. The only thing that stopped him was the fact that there were others around. Even so, during the brief talk with the council that sent us on our next mission, I could feel Obi-wan's concern. I had a feeling that he knew what was happening, though I don't think anything will happen without proof. 

As for my 'training'? He's done nothing but ignore me. I thought I was suppose to learn from him, but I suppose that he sees things differently. If I had to guess, I'm little more than a servant or slave to him. That's such a happy thought. I wonder if I could find Obi-wan in my meditation? Or would 'master' Vall sense that? Screw it. I'm going to try. 

I took a few deep breaths, locking the door to my quarters. Then I sat in the middle of my floor and began to concentrate. I let myself drift to Obi-wan, hoping that I could connect with him. In what form, I wasn't certain. It was just nothing for the longest time. But then I started to feel something. Like I found him or something. I tried to latch onto that feeling, but it wanted to slip from me. 

I tried harder to grasp it, yet it went further away. I was just about to give up for the day when it suddenly flared back, enveloping my consciousness. It was warm and familiar. It was startled as well by my sudden intrusion. I was almost certain I had made contact. I smiled outwardly, then got the feeling that it was asking why. I focused on my concern and 'master' Vall. I felt surprise in return as well as concern. I portrayed a bit of relief, knowing now that someone at least knew there were misgivings. It was a good feeling. 

Obi-wan felt disturbed over the contents of his meditation. He had the feeling that padawan Kirimoto had contacted him, and though they were friends, he wondered how she managed it. He was most concerned over what he felt concerning her master. It was like she was afraid of him or perhaps something similar. Obi-wan wasn't sure. He also felt disturbed enough to speak with Master Yoda about his findings. 

"Troubled you are, Master Kenobi?" The old jedi asked. 

"Yes Master." Obi-wan sat near the elder jedi. 

"Concerned you are. Padawan Kirimoto, in danger you think she is."

Obi-wan looked solem, "While I meditated, it was as though she reached out to me. She gave off feelings of concern, and directed them at Master Vall. As far as I'm aware, no padawan should be concerned about their master."

"Troubling, this is. But proof we need. More information, we must get." Yoda stated, never once breaking his meditative stance. "Perhaps, join them on their mission, you can. Find proof, you could." Obi-wan mulled over this for a while, uncertain. 

"Alright. I'll head over and meet them before they reach their destination. Hopefully I'm not too late."


	5. Chapter Five

"CT-2741, do I make myself clear. You and the others will hold this position. The padawan and I shall hold back until I say so." I sighed quietly. Of course he was treating them poorly. Vall treats everyone like they're below him. I stared at the ground, awkwardly standing at his side. Even though I'm eighteen now, and the fact that Obi-wan is well aware of what is going on, I still get treated like garbage by this so called jedi. Even so, I felt bad for Captain Renegade and his men. They were trained soldiers and deserved better. I only wish I could help them. 

Neither Renegade or myself made any move to try to correct Vall's horrid plan. We've been told often enough that our opinions don't matter. Still, we found some solace in the fact that Vall treated everyone like this. The captain and I both sighed heavily once Vall walked off. 

"Another suicide mission." He muttered. 

"I know, Captain. I know. One of these days his plans are going to backfire and get everyone killed."

"Well sir. I for one hope I get to sit that day out. A man like that needs to learn to listen to the men around him."

I sighed, "True enough." I paused, suddenly whispering. "Sometimes I wish that I could get a new master. Maybe then I would have been promoted to Knight already." I could feel Renegade's gaze on me. It felt sad. Then the booming voice of Vall calling us to what was most certainly our deaths. I hoped that even should this be as tragic as I feel it is going to be, Renegade would be able to survive. He deserved that much. 

The droids attacked, and the sounds of blaster fire rang through the air. Renegade stood beside me, waiting for the moment to strike. We were in the worse position, having to ambush them from the rear. I had little hope of being able to take out their commanders like we planned. We had to stay hidden for the longest time, and my legs were starting to cramp. 

Then we were finally signaled to begin. Renegade and I leapt from our hiding place, the squad following us. I could see countless bodies of fallen soldiers. It was bad. We were coming up under a bridge when we found our targets. I was swift to the punch and disposed of them without having exposed ourselves. 

Then the first one fell. A single blaster bolt through the head. The next shot was aimed at the bridge above us. It fell. Two more troopers were killed by the rubble. I tried to stop the rubble from crushing us, yet only partially succeeded. Then I was knocked out as something hit me. 

The next thing I knew, I was waking up. My leg seemed to be trapped and I could hear someone groaning nearby. It was dusty, but at least I wasn't buried. I found the source of the noise. It came from Renegade's purple marked helmet. 

"Heh." He coughed. "It figures that you would wake up just before I die." He joked. 

"Renegade? What do you mean. I won't let you die." I started to panic, but couldn't think of a way to fix this. Even if I lifted us both out of here, I don't know how badly hurt he was.

He laughed. "That's alright kid. You actually gave a damn about me and my brothers. I can die knowing you'll treat the rest of them the same." He grew quiet and I got a bad feeling. 

"Ren? Renegade?" I mumbled, knowing he was dead. I felt horrible. My leg hurt enough that I couldn't lift the rubble from it and I was laying in a pile of corpses. I tried to calm down, but ended up only trying to hide myself. Heh. I guess if nothing else, the damn Sepes won't do me in. You can't kill what you can't find. 

I think I must be bleeding. The rubble has me covered, a few pieces over my arms and chest, then the large one on me leg. It's getting cold and I'm tired. Was that a gunship overhead? I dunno... I think it landed... Footsteps?....

Obi-wan grew concerned when he saw the carnage the latest attack caused. He had found master Vall and his troops all dead. Once he collected the dead man's lightsaber to bring back to the temple, he knew he had to find Syntrian. He wondered how he was going to find her, knowing that she couldn't be tracked. 

"Sir!" Cody stated. "We believe we know where Commander Kirimoto went!" Obi-wan looked at his commander expectantly. 

A second clone appeared. "It seems like there was another fight that broke out about a klick north. There are multiple corpses and I'm picking up one of the metals used in lightsabers." Obi-wan looked slightly relieved. 

"Do we know if padawan Kirimoto is still alive?" He asked, knowing it was futile. He already was heading towards the gunship, pulling Cody and a few medics with him. He gave orders to fly him over there, hoping against the odds that she was alright. 

As they got over the area, he noticed the remnants of what use to be a bridge. Then he spotted the bright white-ish color he was looking for. He had them set the ship down. The four of them approached together, but Obi-wan rushed ahead. He found her as she passed out. She was trapped, but his medics warned him that moving the rubble could hurt her worse. He had Cody send word to their ship, telling them to prepare for a medical emergency.

Then the jedi took a few breaths to recenter himself. The two medics got into position as Obi-wan lifted the ruble from her small body. They pulled her out, placing her on a stretcher and putting an oxygen mask on her. The took off again almost immediately, the medics trying what they could just to keep her alive. 

Three hours later found Obi-wan pacing back and forth. Syntrian was placed into one of the bacta tanks they kept on the ship, yet they still weren't even sure if it would help. Cody had to pull the man away when they picked up a transmission from the jedi council. 

Obi-wan entered begrudgingly, yet realised how he was acting. He greeted the other masters politely. 

"Master Kenobi. A report, you have?" Yoda began. 

Obi-wan sighed. "Yes masters. I regret to inform you that Master Vall is dead. All of his men are dead, and Padawan Kirimoto is in critical condition. As for the planet, my forces managed to destroy the last of the droid army before launching a rescue, though I fear it may have come too late."

"Hmm, grave news, this is." Yoda stated. 

Mace chimed in, "Keep us updated on padawan Kirimoto's condition. Meanwhile, we should figure out what to do with her once she recovers. Kenobi, return to the temple, we shall discuss this once you return. Hopefully, Kirimoto will have recovered enough to join us." Obi-wan nodded, wanting to go back and check on his friend. He met up with Cody part of the way. 

"Sir, if I may ask, you know this padawan, don't you?"

Obi-wan sighed, "I do, Cody. In fact, I was the one who brought her to the temple. After that we kept in touch."

"You seem to care about her." The commander stated. "If I may be so bold sir, what is she like?" Obi-wan could help but chuckle.

"It's alright Cody, there's no need to be shy about it." He began, the clone looking a bit sheepish. "When I met her, she was untrusting. Always running away. As she grew, I found that she had a fierce streak to her. I think that's why she was given to Vall. I think they thought she would temper his arrogance. Yet the opposite happened. She started to become more timid, and you could tell she wasn't happy around him. I think she started to doubt herself after a while." Obi-wan slipped into thought as they walked. He didn't even notice when Cody dragged him down to the mess for something to eat, much to the pleasure of the troops watching.


	6. Chapter Six

Everything was sore. That was the first thing I could feel. The second thing I knew was the strong stench associated with the medbay, though the others claim not to notice it. Then came the oh so familiar sounds, and Obi-wan? Who was he talking to? A clone?

The blinding light of the medbay took a few moments to get use to as I wretched my eyes open. I was still tired, and I would probably be asleep again soon. After a few moments, I got myself to be able to focus, and found the Obi-wan was patiently waiting nearby, with a trooper that had gold markings on his armor. 

"Well Cody, it seems the wait is over." Obi-wan joked, then turned to me, "You've been out for a few days now. It's been enough time that the council has made its decision as to what to do with you."

"What.." My throat was dry and scratchy, "What do you mean?"

He smiled, taking a couple steps towards me. "Master Vall died before your training was complete, that was what the council decided. As such, you've been assigned to another Jedi, me specifically. Hopefully, we'll get along better than you did with Vall. But for now, rest, get your strength back. We don't have another mission for a few days yet." The two of them left and I fell asleep a few moments later. 

The next time I woke, I felt much better. I ended up surprising the medics when I sat up. They hadn't known I was even awake. Then they spent the next hour performing various tests and such, which they did all the way up until Obi-wan came and grabbed me. Apparently the briefing for our next mission was about to take place. Obi-wan lead me through the maze of halls, at some point meeting up with the same clone from last time. 

"Syntrian, this is Commander Cody. The two of you will be working together quite often, so I do hope you'll get along." Obi-wan smiled. Cody greeted me as we entered the large room. I haven't really been to one of these before, Vall wouldn't let me near them. Still, I felt a bit nervous, and I'm certain that Obi-wan could feel that. 

The hologram flared to life, and it was Master Skywalker and his padawan that appeared. They both gave me strange looks before we began. 

"I don't believe we've met?" Skywalker stated.

Obi-wan spoke for me. "This is my padawan, Syntrian Kirimoto. She used to be with Master Vall, but he was killed in their last battle along with all of their men." They gave him a curious look. "Anyway, we have a battle to plan." I listened as the two of them came up with something, but they were missing something. I know it. But I didn't say anything. Instead, I kept watching as they pointed to different areas of the map, and discussing their plan. Someone nudged me. 

I turned to see Cody looked down at me, sympathetically. "If you have an idea, you can share ya know." I turned back to see them looking at me. I felt uncertain enough that I had to look to Obi-wan to even gather enough courage to speak. 

"Have you thought about sending a small team in to take out their shield? It may um... May help keep some men alive." I was shaking ever so slightly, almost certain that I was going to get scolded. Obi-wan thought about it a moment. The he smiled. 

"Alright let's do it. Cody, you'll take a small group of your best men and accompany Syntrian. You will get behind the enemy lines and destroy the shield generator." I wasn't sure this was the best option, but I trusted Obi-wan's judgment. 

Skywalker spoke next, "I'll send Rex to go with you." I felt a bit of joy from Cody. Whoever Rex is, he seems to be Cody's friend. Perhaps it would go well? Obi-wan nodded in agreement. They spoke a few minutes yet before ending the transmission. Obi-wan told me he wanted to speak a moment before I left. 

"Syntrian." He spoke, his voice soft. He began to walk so I followed him. 

"Yes, master?" It sounded off to me. 

He sighed. "Syntrian, I know you don't really believe that you can do this, and it's not your fault. I regret that you ended up with the master you did." I stayed silent. "That's why I convinced the council to let me finish your training."

"You.. asked for me?" He just smiled. It was a warm feeling. 

"For now, I want you and Cody to get along. I think it'll help you if you could gain their trust." He was about to dismiss me, but paused a moment. "Oh, and Syntrian, we're friends, you don't have to force yourself to call me master." He smiled as he left. 

An hour later, Cody approached me, another man in tow. This one had blue marks on his armor. I could hear the two of them talking over their private channel. Apparently this was an odd thing, as most people can't hear that. It only took a moment for them to remove their helmets, turning to me. 

"General Kenobi wanted me to find you. He says that we'll be heading off shortly." Cody stated. I nodded, joining the two. 

"This is that padawan Renegade would tell us about?" The blonde stated. 

I was surprised. "You knew Renegade?" They both chuckled. 

"We use to be on the same cadet squad on Kamino." Cody stated. "Rex here use to compete with Renegade to see who was the better shot."

"Ya know, you were the one person he spoke highly about. Coming from him, that means a lot." Rex gave off a smile. "Something tells me you deserved everything he ever said."

"Really? Like what?" The inquiry was met with an amused grin from Cody, though he stayed silent. 

Rex answered, "He said that you impressed him when you first met. Said something about you arguing with General Vall over who should be leading your battalion. Also said you ended up winning, which from what I've heard, is difficult." 

"What about that time he was getting chewed out and you stepped in." 

"Or that time you saved his men over following orders." They brought up a few more points and I couldn't help but beam internally. And yet.... When did I lose that spark? When did I stop believing in myself? I concluded that whatever it was that stopped the behavior, it was because of Vall. Just another reason to hate the man. Though the council says hate is wrong. Yet the council also did nothing to stop him. Could?... Could the council be wrong? I shook the thought away, knowing I could get in trouble for such a thought. 

"Hey kid!" Rex stated, nudging me. It brought me from my thoughts, only for me to see that we were in the hanger bay. I hadn't even noticed. Obi-wan was standing in front of me. 

"Syntrian, now that you're focused again, I was explaining the plan." Obi-wan scolded. I felt embarrassed. "Anyway, the five of you will be entering here," he pointed to a spot on the holo map. "At which point you'll make your way to the shield generator and destroy it. Remember, whether or not you succeed will affect our chances of taking the planet." He finished, giving us a curt nod. The others started heading towards the gunship, but Obi-wan caught me before I could follow. 

"Did I miss something?" He held out my lightsaber. 

"Aren't you forgetting something?" He handed it to me. 

"I suppose so, though I just figured I was going to have to do this mission without it. It wouldn't be the first time." I shrugged, glad to have my weapon back.

He looked exasperated. "Do you mean to tell me that you were forced to go into battle without your lightsaber?!"

"Master Vall would forbid me to use it should I not do well enough in the mock battles he set up. I lost most of the time because I normally had to fight him. I got really good at hiding." I stated simply, not really seeing the problem. I thought this was normal. He muttered something about wanting to kill the deadman himself as I walked off.


	7. Chapter Seven

Night had fallen and we were forced to make camp. No one had told us how quickly it got dark here, or how dark it really got. If nothing else, no one could attack at night. Not even droids could find their way through this. We ended up in a cave, a few klicks off from our target. The men had managed to get some light, and had pulled some ration bars to eat. I sighed, hating anytime I had to eat them. We were currently sitting around what I think was a lamp or something. The men were telling various types of stories. They reminded me of stealth squad with Renegade. 

"Hey kid." One of the others, Jax I think, piped up. "You don't seem like the other Jedi. Most Jedi I know act all high and mighty." Everyone looked at the man.

I probably had a wistful expression on my face. "Thats probably because I use to have Zelvex Vall as a master. He wasn't exactly known for letting others share those traits when they were near him."

"Used to?" The fourth one stated. I think he introduced himself as Fitt. 

Cody responded. "General Vall, Captain Renegade and the entirety of the 714th were wiped out on their latest mission. General Kenobi and I searched for any survivors. She was the only one." Cody seemed saddened by that. In fact, I felt sadness from all of them. 

"That's a pretty significant loss. Captain Renegade was a good man, and his troops definitely deserved a better general." Jax stated.

"So how'd you end up with general Kenobi?" Fitt asked. 

I chuckled. "I'm not entirely certain. I was laying there, trapped under some debris, forced to watch as Renegade took his last breaths, and the battlefield growing quiet. Then I was in the medbay, and Obi-wan was telling me that apparently he was my master now." 

"The General does seem to have a soft spot for you."

"Yeah, it reminds me of how he acts around General Skywalker." Something moved nearby. No one else seemed to catch it. I zoned out of the conversation, focusing on my surroundings. I heard it again, this time closer. 

"Something's coming." I blurted out. 

Jax looked confused, "I don't hear anything."

"And the scanners say it's clear."

"No. Something's definitely coming." I argued, not knowing what else to say. They just looked at me like I was joking. I looked to Rex and Cody for some back up. Those two seemed to believe me at least. I stood up, moving further back. I noticed the two officers follow suit. Thats when Fitt and Jax seemed to take it seriously. 

"Kill the light." I whispered, hoping I was on the right track. One of them did as I asked, and I heard the soft click as their night vision turned on. I let my senses spread out. I definitely felt what was out there. I'm not sure what it was. Then it pounced, landing on Fitt. He went quiet after a moment. I threw my saber at it, cutting it in half. The clones were startled, not having even seen my lightsaber light up. I brought the weapon back to me as I concentrated, trying to see if there was anything else around. I felt a second of the creatures outside, though now that I got a clearer feel for it, it felt more metallic? I pulled it to me, destroying it with a quick flick of my blade. Then I relaxed, letting them turn the light back on. 

A few moments passed before the light came on. When it did, we saw the droids. They were animal like, and looked like a natural beast. 

"It looks like the clankers got themselves a new toy." Rex joked, kicking the pile of metal. Then my attention turned to Jax, who was looking over his brother. 

He sighed heavily. "He's dead. Fitt's dead." I felt bad for the man, but as I looked at the body, I got the feeling that this happened because they didn't trust me as a leader. They didn't trust me, so someone died. I left them to clean up and went a bit deeper into the cave. I wanted to be alone. I heard someone yelling at Jax as I walked away. I didn't care to listen. I just walked, knowing they would find me soon enough. 

It was Cody who finally found me. He didn't have to say anything for me to know it was him. I figured it out by his footsteps, and I could see the faintest outline in the darkness. 

"What do you want Cody?" I stated rather dejectedly. 

He moved closer to me. "Sir, you need to come back to camp. Someone needs to lead this mission, and we agree that it should be you. Besides, here I thought you were getting along well with us."

"Cody. How am I suppose to lead you when half of you didn't seem to trust me enough to think there was danger."

"Sir, if I may speak freely." He paused a moment, taking my silence as agreement. "Rex and I are with you. Jax is with you. Fitt's death, was because he didn't take you seriously. He saw something in you that General Kenobi and I are trying to help you fix. He saw that you doubt yourself, that's why he didn't listen to you. Jax knows he can trust you. He learned that you do know what you're doing. Rex and I follow you because we have the experience to tell us that Jedi all lead differently. You were confident that you heard something, and you were able to get some of that through, that's why Rex and I believed you."

I looked at the man a moment, feeling something I hadn't expected. "Why do I feel like you're talking from experience?" 

He suppressed a laugh. "Once, I was assigned to a general much like your old master. He had no respect for me and so neither did the men I was suppose to be leading. In fact, he almost had me decommissioned. Then General Kenobi came around and saw that mess. He took me from there, and you see how that turned out."

"Obi-wan sure seems to like his hard-cases, doesn't he." I joked.

"I think he enjoys the challenge." Cody smirked. "Now come on, the others are waiting."

We found the others ready and waiting. I noticed that the sun was about to rise, a faint light starting to come through. I signaled that we were going to head out, feeling slightly better about my leadership. Even though Cody's words helped, I still had that nagging feeling that told me I was being silly and to stop this. I did what I could to push that aside as we moved through the thick underbrush. 

"Sir, I noticed that your lightsabers different from the others I saw." Rex stated. 

I smirked. "Yes Captain," I stated. "I have the Ghostfire Saber. There haven't been any like it for over a thousand years."

"But it's silent and gives off almost no light." He pointed out.

"Those aren't the only effects of a Ghostfire crystal, but simple the obvious ones. I'm sure you three'll get to see the more fun effect later. Just try not to get too mesmerized." I turned my head a bit to catch them shrugging at each other. I could tell that despite the fact that at least one of them would have looked at my file, they had no clue what I could do. 

As we began to near the building, the brush grew in size. We had to climb multiple large roots, and scale a cliff before we were in sight of our target. I had them wait a moment and observe, feeling that something was off. We watched as several droids crossed in and out of the shielded area. Then a small mammal ran towards the barrier. It was fine for a moment, but then the screech that sounded a lifeform went off. The poor creature was destroyed. 

"Well, that complicates things." Rex stated. 

"There's no way to get past that. A lifeform scanner will pick us up the moment we cross the barrier." Jax complained. 

"There's a way." Cody confirmed, glancing over to me. 

I thought a moment. "I think I have an idea, though I'll admit I've never tried something like this."

"Can't be worse than any of General Skywalker's plans." I noticed that none of them had their helmets on.

"Cody, can I have you confirm something with for me?" He nodded. I took a deep breath. "Alright, I want you to put your helmet on." He did so. 

"What are you getting at?" 

I ignored the question. "If I remember right, your helmets use a variety of scanners that give you a wide field of view. Correct?" Again, he nodded. "Alright, so I want to know if you can still see me through that if I were to do this..." I took a deep breath, recalling the feeling I get when I want to hide. I knew I was still visible to Rex and Jax, but when Cody pulled his helmet off and had to double check his vision, I knew it had worked. 

"Well that's a neat trick, but how well does it work against scanners?" He asked, impressed. 

Rex chimed in, "Wait. I remember reading something about a Jedi that couldn't be tracked. Apparently she was able to trick machines into thinking she wasn't there. That was you?"

"I'm that famous?" I joked, then got back to what I was thinking. "Cody, please put your helmet back on, I want to try something else." he did as I asked. 

"What else could you want to try?" Jax complained. 

"I assume I'm hidden right now," Cody nodded in agreement, "Rex, Jax, you two come here." I ordered. Then I made sure to concentrate as I touched both of them. 

"Kriff." Cody exclaimed. "I get making yourself vanish, but others too?" 

Rex had a thoughtful look on his face. "I think I know where this is going." He smirked and we came up with our entrance plan.


	8. Chapter Eight

...I had to concentrate to get all four of us across that barrier. Even so, the tension was thick, and never seemed to leave. Once we were through, I was glad to find that the only sensors were on the perimeter. We then made our way through the base, finding a surprising lack of guards inside. It took a few minutes to find the shield generator, to which Jax destroyed in a few moments. It was a simple matter to escape as the building erupted into chaos. 

I sighed, finishing my report and putting it aside. I'm sure the council would have a field day when they found out and I wasn't really looking forward to that conversation. I know that most of them don't approve of how I use the force, and that some of them have begun to consider me to be grey, but what can be done? 

My door slide open, revealing Obi-wan. He seemed like he was in a good mood. 

"Is there something I could help you with?" I asked, a bit of concern lacing my voice. Every time Vall had come into my room like this, it ended badly. 

Yet he smiled, "Oh, I just wanted to come congratulate you on a job well done. I have no doubt that if you hadn't gotten that shield down, we would have lost many more men." I wasn't use to feeling this... This pride? He was proud of me?

I was sheepish as I spoke next. "You're proud?... Of me?... But... But I lost a man, and the men didn't want to listen and..." He cut me off. 

"Syntrian. You still have a long way to go, and you will gain the confidence needed to lead. For now, take some pride in your accomplishments. Let yourself be happy for a moment. You did well." He smiled warmly, an I couldn't help but crack a small smile. 

"I'm sorry... It's just... I'm still use to being yelled at when missions didn't go perfectly, which they never did."

He came over to put his hand on my shoulder. "I know. That's why we're going to work through that." He left a moment later, and for the first time in years, I actually wanted to live up to someone's expectations. 

It was late that night when I was pulled aside. I was surprised to see a bunch of troopers, and Cody. Half of them looked drunk. Were they celebrating something? And I thought they weren't allowed to drink? A cup was forced into my hands as well. I was taken aback by this action. 

"Cody, what's going on?"

He laughed? "Kenobi suggested that we celebrate your successful mission today. He... He said to find you too." There was a hint that the commander was already feeling the effects of his drink, but he wasn't nearly as bad as most of them. 

"Comeon kid!" Someone slurred. 

I shrunk back. "I... I shouldn't." I mumbled. Someone came up behind me, and I was forced further into the room, the door now closing behind me. 

"Did master Obi-wan really authorize this?" I mumbled, one of the troopers now filling the mostly empty mug I was holding. 

"Drink! Drink! Drink!" Someone started chanting. A few others joined in. I found the source of the noise, and there were two men standing on the table, gulzuling their drinks down in a makeshift race. I stifled a laugh as the so called winner fell off the table. A bunch of others laughed as well. 

"Waxer! Boil! Show the newbies how it's done!" Cody shouted, suddenly hidden in the crowd. Two more climbed up on the table, but this time they seemed to be having a contest on who could drink more. I found myself sipping on my drink as I watched, a half smile on my face.

Kenobi watched the chaos wreaking havoc in the mess with an amused expression. He had Anakin by his side as well as his former padawan's Captain. 

"Sir, are you sure this was a good idea?" Rex asked, watching Syntrain and Cody apparently in a drinking contest.

"I have to agree with Rex. Even I can't figure out why you've allowed this." Anakin stated. 

The older man sighed. "Syntrain is suffering from a severe lack of confidence. I think that if she could bond with the men, and see that her accomplishments are worth something, than she should start to believe in herself." Obi-wan finish as he watched Cody fall from the table, and a rather drunk Syntrian begin boasting. 

"That I understand, but why are they all drunk?" Anakin inquired. 

Rex answered, "Cody told me that two of his men overheard He and General Kenobi planning and insisted on taking over." He seemed distraught. And though he was hiding it well, they could tell that the Captain kind of wanted to join in the fun. They continued to watch as Jax stepped up to Syntrian's challenge. All three men were surprised when the padawan managed to win.

"I have to say, I am impressed that she's even still conscious. With the amount she's had, you could knock out a dozen or so men." Rex stated. 

Obi-wan replied. "If I had to guess, it probably has something to do with her biology. If I remember correctly, the standard drink on her homeworld was a strange type of alcohol that much stronger than anything we have. The locals were drinking it as if it were water, and none of them were even buzzed." No one responded because the hologram they were watching was much more interesting. Syntrian was swaying back and forth, but she had three clones held in the air. Then a fourth, and a fifth. Then she herself was in the air. The men cheered. 

"Well, I've seen enough. I'm going to bed." Skywalker stated. 

"I think I'll head off too." Rex stated. "Try not to let Cody get too drunk for me, General." He smirked, walking of. Obi-wan nodded, continuing to watch the chaos for a while yet. He finally went to bed when he saw both his padawan and commander fall unconscious. He smiled when he saw that there was a sizable pile of sleeping clones, which is where they ended up. 

I woke the next day, my body feeling heavy. I had a slight headache and the lights seemed brighter than normal. I could hear groans as some of the troopers woke up. Wait, where am I? When I opened my eyes, I found myself in the middle of a pile, Cody to my left, and many, many clones surrounding us. I suppose that explains why I can't move... I looked about the best I could, finding that the mess was, well, a mess. There were puddles of various things littered on the floor, probably a hundred mugs scattered about, and half the tables were pushed into strange formations. Cody groaned beside me, signalling that he was awake. 

"Finally awake Commander?" I teased, feeling lighter today. I only remember parts of last night, and that was probably a good thing. 

"I'm never letting Waxer and Boil plan anything ever again." His comment made me smile. 

"Oh, I dunno, I think it was quite fun seeing you drunk." He gave me a look that said never to mention last night again. 

He sighed. "Well, I suppose we should go see the General. But first I think we need to get this cleaned."

I had a devilish look to me. "How about we have them clean it up, you know, since it seems both of us were coerced into this."

"I agreed. But I do believe we have to get out of this mess first." Cody was mirroring my expression. 

"Leave that to me." I smiled, concentrating. The effort made my headache a bit worse, but I'll live. I lifted the men on top of us up, and gave Cody a moment to pull me up before carefully setting them back down. I watched as Cody picked up a discarded pistol, and shot it to at the target someone set up at the other end of the room. I had to stifle a laugh as every single, half drunk soldier scrambled to their feet. 

"All right listen up! You boys have had your fun. Now you get to clean up. I want this room spotless before the first squads come in for their morning grub. If it's not, then you'll all be put in maintenance for a week! Understood!" He dropped the pistol and we left the room. I managed to snag his helmet and my lightsaber before we left, every man panicking when the saw how much time they had.

"How long did you give them?" I asked. 

He chuckled, "The first wave will start trickling in in around ten minutes. The best part is that it'll be Rex's men, so he'll tell me if they succeed or not." We both laughed as we started the trek to find where Obi-wan was.


	9. Chapter Nine

I sighed, having known that this moment was coming. The council had requested our return, as apparently they wanted to know something of what happened the day Vall was killed. At least that was how it started. Then they began to question me about my latest report. To which they then began to admonish me about how I was using the force. Then I was told that apparently they would have to postpone any chance for me to be knighted until I could learn to hold to their values. I sighed, having expected something like this. They never did like me. Before I was allowed to leave, I was reprimanded for my behavior during and after our last mission. 

Finally I was allowed to leave, and I sighed heavily once I was out of earshot. This went about as well as I had thought. I knew that I shouldn't let it bother me, yet it hurt when they treated me like a child. I had the skill of a Jedi Knight, they just won't admit it because I apparently refuse to follow their beliefs. I don't really know what to believe anymore. I know what I am capable of, and I know how the council treats me. They don't really like me, and they let their dislike show through. I was like the clones in that regard. Useful, but they would prefer not to think of us as like them. I laughed of the ridiculousness of it all. 

They had scolded me like a child. They treat me like they all know better then me. Best of all, they justify it by citing their stupid code. It seems like, at least to me, that they themselves couldn't stick to the code. Why should I, the lowly padawan who refuses their code, listen to what they were trying to tell me. 

I briefly considered the idea of leaving such a suppressive order, but swiftly realized that I had nowhere else to go. I may not agree with their ideals. but I definitely don't agree with the sith. I wonder why I never seem to belong anywhere... 

Someone was coming up behind me. It sounded like Obi-wan. I wondered if he was going to say something helpful, or just spout more of the council's nonsense. I almost wish Cody was here. At least then I would be able to talk to someone who knows what I'm feeling. But alas, he was waiting in orbit for our return. 

"Syntrian!" He called. I stopped and waited, knowing I could be scolded again if I didn't.

"What is it master? Are you here to spot off more about how I'm just wrong in just about everything?" I asked bitterly.

He seemed surprised. "Wha... Why would I be here to do that?" He paused for a minute. "I just came to tell you that we have our new orders, but that we are stopping by Kamino first to replenish our troops." He began to walk a few steps in front of me. "I spoke to the council, and was able to convince them to allow you to lead your own squad." Oh, so I was 'allowed' to lead now. How nice. 

"Not to sound pessimistic, but what would I even do with this squad? I mean, I already work so closely with you and Cody anyway."

I could hear a smile in response. "I'm hoping that, given time, you'll be able to build up your own battalion."

There was something in his tone. "But the council doesn't trust me."

He seemed disappointed in my response. "The council doesn't like how freely you seem to go against their wishes. In a way, you are just like my old master, Qui-gon." He seemed to be remembering something fondly. He attempted to continue this conversation as we made our way to the landing platform. 

Back on the ship, we found Cody apparently waiting for us. I just walked past him, and left Obi-wan to explain what our next move would be. I had a feeling, though, that the Commander would find me sooner or later. I went back to my quarters, which were by recently emptied troop barracks. I wondered if Obi-wan was planning on using them for me. 

I shook the thought away, locking my door as I entered my room. I let the heavy cloak fall to the ground, and all but threw my boots off. I looked in the mirror that was above the small sink against one wall. The image I saw sickened me. The neat bun my hair was in, the conformity of the Jedi robes, all of it. I briefly wondered if Obi-wan would get mad if I changed my appearance, but immediately realised I didn't care. There was a small metal blade sitting on the edge of the sink. I haven't touched it in years, but I knew it was for trimming one's hair. 

A wicked grin crossed my features as I began cutting. I let my hair down, beginning by cutting it so it was around chin length, other than the stupid braid I was forced to keep. Then I decided to really piss off some of the more stringent Jedi. I took a page from the clones and shaved the left side pretty close. I felt surprisingly good, removing one of the many chains that I hadn't realised had been placed around me.

Once I got my hair tidied up a bit, I flopped onto my bed, the hard surface leaving much to be desired. I thought about changing how my clothes look, but decided to do that later on. I felt drained from my day. The disappointment from the council weighed heavily on me. I know that Obi-wan tried to help, but nothing he said today really helped. They'll allow me? Ha! They hardly even seem to want me around. I yawned, not having realised it had been a long day. I wonder if when I wake, I'll feel better... I closed my eyes, letting sleep overcome me. I faintly heard things starting to float. 

The next thing I knew, I was startled awake as the alarms were blaring. Adrenaline started to pump through my system as I grabbed my lightsaber and rushed out my door. Cody happened to be on the other side. 

"Cody, what's happening?" 

"Sir! The ship has come under attack! General Kenobi sent me to find you when you didn't answer your comm. He's order the ship evacuated." I nodded, and a moment later we were rushing to the pods. I didn't know where my master was, but I got the feeling that he would be fine. I did however, start to feel apprehensive. I shook it away, Cody and I climbing in a pod with three troopers I didn't recognize. We jettisoned but a moment later. 

Two seconds into the flight, the pod shook, and alerts flashed on the screen. The pod was damaged. A couple of the troopers seemed to start trying to fix it, but then we stopped suddenly. A tractor beam? I looked out the view port. We seemed to be quite a distance from the others. A ship latched on to us. 

"Rescue? Already?"

"No, it's too early."

"I have a bad feeling about this, Commander." I glared at the door, getting up to stand between it and the men. I placed a hand on my saber, wondering if there was enough space to use it here. The door opened. And out appeared what I assumed to be bounty hunters. 

"A Jedi accompanied by a clone with gold marked armor. This must be them!" I glanced at Cody. Were they looking for Kenobi?

"Take those two alive. Kill the rest." Someone ordered. I was halfway to igniting my lightsaber when I was hit with a field of some sort. My body went numb and I couldn't move. I watched as Cody was also hit. Then three blaster bolts. Cody and I were dragged out and the pod was jettisoned into space, my lightsaber along with it. I really hoped that Master Kenobi would find it. 

Something pricked my neck. I was out a moment later. 

Obi-wan knew something was wrong. He couldn't contact either Cody or Syntrian. He was starting to fear that they hadn't gotten off the ship in time. Once his escape pod had been located, he was told that there were several pods that had been broken open. That had made his blood run cold. So now he was searching the destroyed pods along with Arfour. He had gone through three of the seven pods already, and was about to head off to the fourth when Arfour beeped. Apparently the mech had seen something. He positioned his fighter so that the lights were pointed at the pod. That's when he saw the lightsaber floating there. He recognised it as his padawan's. He instructed his mech to catch it once he brought the weapon closer. They would take it back to Anakin's ship where the rest of Obi-wan's battalion was waiting.


	10. Chapter Ten

I was groggy. And it felt like I was floating. A prison? Someone was shuffling nearby. My eyes opened slowly, and my chin was grabbed roughly.

"It seems our Jedi's awake. And yet, she's not the one I wanted." He threw his hand down as I fully came to my senses. "You were suppose to collect Kenobi. How hard is it to follow orders?!" He backhanded one of the bounty hunters. 

"But sir! You told us to collect a Jedi who was accompanied by a clone who wears armor marked with gold! That's exactly what we did!" The one who spoke was a few moments away from getting shot, yet something stopped the obviously unstable man. 

"If you aren't Kenobi," The man stated, beginning to pace, "You must be close to him as you were found with his commander. And this.." He took a close look at my braid. "You must be his padawan. Strange though, we thought his only padawan was Skywalker. And you are far too old to be a fresh one." He paced some more. 

"Does this mean we can go?" One of the bounty hunters asked timidly. 

"Leave my sight!" The man commanded, then turned back to me. "If I'm right, then I think I can lure Kenobi to me. I am sorry my dear, but I must have Kenobi, and I have the feeling that you'll bring him to me." He grinned sinisterly, then walked into the heavy shadow lurking a few feet away from where I was. 

I was in the dark for a few minutes before another light flashed on. Cody was in a similar predicament. Then I saw a droid fly about, and a booming voice began. 

"Obi-wan Kenobi. As you can see, I have your Padawan and your Commander. Until you come and face me, I will torture them, and every time, you will be forced to watch. Then, as you lay at my feet, defeated, I will kill them. If you don't show within two rotations, I will kill them. The only chance you have to save these two, is for you to kill me." He cackled, then fell silent. Then the electricity started. Cody was gritting his teeth, trying not to scream, and failed in the end. I didn't even have the chance to brace myself before the pain came. I was about to pass out when it ended. I was left panting. I watched, as a droid came, and put shackles on the Commander. He was moved to be right behind me, his back mere inches from mine. The droid left after finishing it's job. 

"Are... Are you alright?" He asked, still winded. 

I smirked. "I'll live." I couldn't see, but I assumed that he smirked as well. 

"Good. Kenobi would kill me if you died. Besides, I'm sure the men would miss you too."

"Who else would beat them at their own games?" He laughed a bit. We were silent for a few minutes, then a door opened. The man came back, behind him were a few droids. I had a bad feeling about this. 

"Kenobi, I do hate to harm such a pretty thing as this child you bring with you, but I think you need some motivation." I swallowed hard, trying to brace myself for whatever would come. He had a wicked grin as he approached me. As he stood no more than a foot in front of me, he motioned to a droid. It came over and slapped something on my chest. Suddenly, I felt.... Empty? Everything felt off, like I was suddenly looking at holograms. But normally I can feel something from a hologram, since you talk to a person. This was just.... Nothing? I was about to start panicking. This was strange and unfamiliar and it just felt wrong. He chuckled as he explained what had happened. 

Then I was released. I scrambled a few feet away, and managed to get to my feet. He approached me, and I tried to force him away. But nothing happened. I started to breath heavier now, staring down at my hands. I thought I felt Cody's gaze on me, but I couldn't concentrate enough to tell. Then I felt myself being lifted by my neck. I struggled, though I didn't get anywhere. The man mumbled something before dropping me. How? He stopped my connection to the force? I... What?... I was full on hyperventilating. Quiet. Too quiet. Where's all the life? The life I always feel? Life? Is Cody still alive? Someone's shouting. Shouting, yelling. Yelling? No, calling. 

"Syn! Syntrian!" I pulled my head up, my breathing starting to slow. I looked around widely for a minute or so. 

"Wh-what... C-Cody?" I stumbled. 

He looked relieved. "Good. You're calming down."

"I..."

"It's alright. You don't have to explain your actions."

I slumped against the wall. "He cut me off." I whispered. 

"He cut you off? Cut you off from what?" The soldier asked. 

I looked back down to my hands. "That device. He used it to cut my connection to the force. It's... Unsettling." I looked down at the small triangle sitting just over where my heart would be. "I wonder..." I grabbed it, and received a shock. Apparently I wouldn't be able to remove it. I cursed, turning to looked over Cody. I hadn't seen it before, but he had been stripped down to that black bodysuit they wear. And it seems to be ripped in a few places. He also had a cut over his right eye. 

I must have looked concerned, because he piped up. "I was up some time before you were. I think they were testing to see if I was going to give them any information." He had a warm smile despite his injuries. 

Obi-wan grew frantic as he watched the two messages he had received. Not only did he know who was behind this, but it was someone from the past that he hadn't seen in years. He was concerned that Syntrian wouldn't necessarily be alright in there, as she had begun to grow darker. There was also this new tech that they had which concerned him. If they could in fact separate a Jedi from the force, even temporarily, it would mean trouble.

He turned back to the council, uncertain about how this was going to go. He knew the council wasn't that pleased with his Padawan, they had made that abundantly clear. This is why he wasn't sure if they were going to let him go save her.

"This is troubling." Windu stated. 

"We shouldn't allow a device like this to exist. Should the public find out, it would cause panic." Another Jedi stated. 

Plo continued. "I believe that you should rescue the girl and destroy that prototype." They spoke amongst themselves for a few minutes. it seemed to be going poorly. 

"Should we really be diverting resources for someone who refuses to follow our code? I believe that our priority should be on the prototype." 

Obi-wan spoke up. "Even if you don't agree with her. Don't you think it's a bit cruel just to leave someone to be tortured to death? Especially when you're already planning a mission there to begin with?"

"Kenobi. I recognize that you're doing what you can to protect your padawan, but perhaps this is simply her time." One of the others stated. Kenobi was getting frustrated, this wasn't going any way that would be useful. Never could he have imagined that the council hated Syntrian this much. 

"So you would just leave her to die?" Skywalker stated, entering the room. Kenobi hadn't even known he was on the ship.

Someone sighed. "We already have to deal with your anitics,. Skywalker. We don't need two of you."

"And for that, you would let padawan Kirimoto die? Just because you don't like her? I thought Jedi were suppose to be compassionate." Anakin countered stubbornly. Everyone was silent for a few moments.

Then Yoda spoke up. "Right, Skywalker is. Obi-wan. Rescue the girl, you will. Go with you, Skywalker will. Destroy this device, you must." Obi-wan let out a sigh of relief, his shoulders slumping as the communication ended. 

"It would seem I owe you one." Obi-wan stated after a moment. 

Skywalker had a slightly smug expression on his face. "I figured that if you were arguing with the council, it was important. Thought I might help out. Now come on, we have to go save your padawan." He smiled, finishing.


	11. Chapter Elven

It took them two days to take that blasted thing off my chest. When they did, I was strung back up with Cody. Whatever they were testing, apparently, the test was finished. The only thing is, we haven't seen them in over a week. I think we've been in this prison for two weeks now. I couldn't help but think that the council's abandoned me. I sighed. Of course they would. but would Obi-wan really just leave me here?

"Hey, Syn..." Cody stated. 

"What is it?"

He sounded a bit uneasy. "I think they're back, and it looks like they brought their toys with them."

"You think they'll kill us? It's been far more than the two rotations we were given to begin with."

"I dunno. Maybe General Kenobi made a deal with them or something."

"You think that he's just delayed?" Cody didn't respond since the door opened. The clank of the droids was the only sound. Cody tensed up as much as he could. Then man came over to me, and I think I heard a second one standing in front of Cody. 

He started to caress my face. If I could move I would've cut him."It would seem, dear Syntrian. You're master is on his way. But I think he needs to be punished for his tardiness. Don't you? And I think, watching you get hurt would definitely punish him." He got this wicked grin on his face. "Oh don't worry, Commander. She won't be the only one I use to hurt your General. Of course, you'll be allowed to join in the fun as well!" A forcefield went up a few feet away from us. We were surrounded. 

The door whooshed open. It sounded like Obi-wan, though there was the slightest sound that made me think he wasn't alone. 

"Resad. Don't do this. We could talk this out." Obi-wan tried negotiating. 

Resad laughed. "Talk? After all this time? I've lived in exile because of you. I've lost everything. I could have been nobility!" He pulled the device from his pocket, handing it to his assistant. The shorter man walked towards Kenobi. "No! You must pay." Resad was in front of Cody. Cody let out a cry. The snap that accompanied it sounded bad. I have no idea what happened, but I think Resad managed to break on of the Commander's bones in a few seconds, and without really moving. 

"Resad! Stop this!" I heard something fly through the air. 

"Let's see how you like being powerless, Kenobi." He spat. It made contact with something. Someone dropped to their knees. Then Resad was in front of me. I glared at him. 

"Well, that's such a mean expression. Here I thought you all were a compassionate lot." He was grinning. "Now, sweet Syntrian. I've been doing some research. And from what I've learned, you were complicate in my downfall. I think it's only fair you join in."

"What could you possibly be talking about?" I spat, clueless. 

He glared daggers towards me. "I suppose it possible you don't remember. Though I am quiet hurt. After all, you were the one who started the whole thing. If you had only died that night this would have been so much easier." He pulled one of his tools out of his pocket. 

"What do you think. Should I go for your sight, or your hearing?" He pondered a moment. "Oh I know, since you reacted so poorly to my little test, I think you'll really enjoy being deafened!" He held my face, and I was really hoping something was going save us soon. He turned my head so he could get a better view of my left ear, I felt the cold metal touch my ear. I felt it as he found my eardrum. He grinned. 

Then the power went out. The field holding us fell. I winced as my ear was scratched as the metal was forced out. I pushed the Resad away, throwing him into the nearest wall. I felt something drip onto my clothes. I reached up, my ear was bleeding. At least I could still hear. 

"Are you alright?" I felt a hand land carefully on my shoulder. I relaxed. It was Obi-wan. I turned and was confused. I thought he had been hit with that device. 

"Alright Commander, let's get you out of here." The gruffness of the voice made me think it was Rex. I was even more confused when I noticed that he was the one who had been hit with it. 

Obi-wan pulled me to my feet. "You... You came for me. I thought for sure that I had been abandoned." He smiled reassuringly.

"Oh, believe me the council wanted to. But I never did. Come on. Let's get the two of you up to the ship." He walked beside me the whole time. And at some point, I noticed that Skywalker joined us. Obi-wan asked about what happened since we last spoke, and he told me about what he's been doing. 

Then he stopped, and smiled warmly. "You know. I like what you've done with your hair. I think it suits you." I was stunned for a moment, having completely forgotten about that. I smiled softly.

I couldn't help but fidget as the medics worked. They had discussed the best course of action in treating my wounds, which all together weren't that bad. Yet they were concerned that they could hurt me more if they tried to speed up healing the scratch in my ear. They were also worried that doing nothing would make it worse as well. I sighed. Cody got off easily, having not getting to listen to them argue. 

They had sent for a medical droid, who was now working on the rather small scratch. It was uncomfortable. It was then when Master Kenobi came in. He looked around a moment, then turned to me. The droid finish a few moments later, which I was glad for. A couple of the medics spoke a bit before telling me I could leave if I wanted. 

Then they turned to Obi-wan. "Sir!" My master seemed curious, "I would like to speak with you about something." I decided to stay nearby to see what this was.

"Is something wrong?" He seemed worried now. 

"We're not certain sir, it's just..." He paused, trying to read something. 

"Go on, what is it." 

"Well Sir. We're having a hard time keeping a lock on Commander Cody's vitals. The only other person this happens to is Padawan Kirimoto." Strange. 

"All right. Keep an eye on it and tell me if it changes." He seemed thoughtful as we left. It wasn't until we were a fair distance from the medbay that he spoke again. 

"How odd." 

"You mean with Cody?" He nodded. "I have a thought about that." I stated uneasily. We ended up entering the mess as we spoke. 

"This should be interesting." We started to grab some things to eat as I thought about how to phrase this. 

"I think, that it's got something to do with all the time we spent in close proximity."

We sat and began to eat. "What makes you think so?" He asked.

"Well... From what I can tell, what's happening with Cody is because of me, or rather, the way in which I use the force. You know how sometimes, I can completely hide myself from just about any tech?" He nodded, "Well. I think that anytime something is around me enough, it starts to become, I dunno, charged? Things begin to take on that property from me. Like when I first got my light saber, you could scan it, and you would see it, but it would say there's no crystal. But now, the men tell me they can't even pick up on my lightsaber unless they're looking for one specific alloy that's in it."

He started to think. "I remember, when you were younger, things would start to float when you went to sleep. Like you were unconsciously concentrating on whatever was around you." I hadn't been aware that I had been doing that for so long. 

"Do you think that's what's affecting Cody?" I asked. 

"I think so." He paused, thinking hard. "This gives me an idea. Cody should be back in the morning. Then, I think we'll make our stop at Kamino like we planned. It'll just be a bit late."

"You didn't have time to go there?" I asked, bemused. 

He chuckled. "It would seem that rescuing padawans was a more important task." He joked. I snickered. As we finished, a few troopers came over to me, saying they were glad I was back. I was stunned, having not expected that.


	12. Chapter Twelve

We arrived at the facilities on Kamino, and I couldn't help but feel uncertain. We were picking up some troops, since we were still low since the last battle. I was also suppose to find a squad of my own. I was worried that I wouldn't choose correctly. He and Cody caught up to me just before we disembarked. 

"Good we caught up with you." Obi-wan smiled. "Are you ready? Having a squad of your own is a tough."

I probably looked uncertain, "Are you sure I'm ready for this. I mean, what if I choose wrong or something?"

He chuckled. "You'll be fine. Besides, I'm sending Cody with you. He'll help you if you need it." We went in a few moments later. Obi-wan went off by himself, and Cody and I made our way through the place. It was bright and white. Cody chuckled at me. We passed a few groups of cadets. I wondered about many things as we walked. 

"Hey kid." Cody piped up. "You should try to relax. I'm certain that you'll find the team you're looking for." I figured he was smiling at me. I tried to calm down a bit, and tried to listen to what the force was telling me. I stopped moving for a minute, and just listened. Then I felt like I knew what I was suppose to be looking for. I started to lead a bit, and Cody followed, sounding amused. 

I was confused when we ended up watching what looked to be a training simulation. The clones that were down there though, looked more skilled than basic troopers. 

"Oh, those are ARC troopers finishing their training." He explained. "You stopped here. You think one of them will be your Commander?" I continued to watch, and I got the feeling that I had the attention of whoever was in charge of their training. I was fascinated by how they were moving. My eyes were drawn to one particular trooper. Though it seemed that they were just about done. 

"Someone catch your eye?" He asked. 

"Him." I stated pointing to the trooper. They finished, and celebrated. Then they took their helmets off and I noticed that he looked a bit different. 

"A bad batcher? Interesting." He mentioned. 

"Bad batch?" 

He explained. "That's what we call the ones who end up with mutations. Some are more useful than others. I bet the only reason he got this far is because the Kaminoans thought his skill outweighed the so called defect." The man got closer, and I was able to get a slightly better look. His hair was the same color as mine, and his eyes were blue?

"What do you think is the reason for his appearance?" I asked, more out of curiosity than anything. 

"Could just be a more recessive part of the genome. Could have had a leak in his tank. Could be a few things really. Though I've never seen a brother with blue eyes."

"Lets find him. I'd like to talk to him." I stated, more confident now. Cody nodded, leading the way. 

We ended up talking to the Jedi in charge of their training. The Togruta woman seemed reasonable. She nodded when she approached us. 

"You must be Padawan Kirimoto. Master Kenobi inform me you would be coming." She walked with us, "I here that you've been tasked with forming your own squad. If you'd like, I have some time before I must return to the cadets. I could show you some of our more promising recruits."

"Thank you, Master Ti. But I think I have my eye on someone already." She looked curious. "In that last set, there was a trooper that didn't look like the others."

"Ah," She stated, a smile on his face. "You've found ARC trooper Shade. He's lucky then. The Kaminoans were planning on putting him through reconditioning if he wasn't taken within a few months." This caught my attention, and Cody's as well. 

"A man with that skill? Why?" He demanded. 

She answered. "Shade has proved difficult, to say the least. The Kaminoans are displeased that he often has a mind of his own. They view it as a failure, and one that needs to be fixed."

"Doesn't seem like that to me. It sounds like he's not all that different from Rex." I mumbled. This earned a chuckle from Cody. 

"Then perhaps you will willing to take him. In addition to his ARC training, he was also given command training. I imagine that would make him useful to you." She smiled. I took a moment to talk with Cody. He seemed to agree, though he did make a comment about having two of Rex now. I gave him an amused grin before agreeing. She took us to where his room was. Which is where we heard commotion. It was in a language I didn't understand. 

"Mando'a? What are they trying to hide?" The Jedi stated, disapprovingly. She opened the door, and walked in. Cody and I waited a moment, but Cody seemed to be translating things. 

"What are they saying?" I asked. 

He looked down at me, taking his helmet off. "Someone was telling Shade about how he was a failure. To which he didn't respond to kindly. Then they teased him about not being able to hit back or he'll get reconditioned. That's where the conversation ended."

"Why do people hate those who stand out so much.." I mumbled, earning a pitying glance from Cody. Then we went in. 

"Troopers. A Jedi is here to choose herself a commander. Please behave." The Togruta asked. We came around the corner. They snapped to attention seeing Cody and I. 

"A child?" One of them whispered. I heard that, but let them think otherwise. 

"Sir, if I may." One of them asked. "You come searching for a Commander, yet you have one at your side." I took a deep breath. 

Master Ti responded. "Commander Cody serves under General Kenobi, who is her master. Cody is here simply to aid her should she need it." One of them made a comment about hating to serve under a Jedi who needed a babysitter. This got on my nerves. So far, the only one was was still silent was Shade. 

"You've been quiet so far, not going to join your brothers in their jokes." I quizzed. 

He seemed to stand a bit straighter. "With all due respect sir," He looked me straight in the eyes. "I like to get a feel for the one I'm talking to before I start teasing them. Besides, I get the feeling that my brothers are underestimating you." I got the feeling that he was being honest.

"Look at that, Shadie over there kissing up to the Commander."

"He's hoping he gets chosen so he doesn't get reconditioned."

"Boys, shut up. You're just making it hard for any of you to get shipped out." One of the trainers stated, walking in. Then turned to me. "Have you made your decision? Or would you like to see some others?"

"I already had my choice in mind when I walked in. Cody. Please help him assemble a squad. I'm going to check in with Obi-wan." I instructed walking out of the room. As the door shut, I took a deep breath, needing to calm a bit. It was startling how easily they were able to read me. I commed Obi-wan and gave him an update. He told me that his new troops were being loaded so he would come meet me in a few minutes. He also told me that I did well to stand up to them. 

I stood out there for a few minutes, before Cody and Shade walked out, talking about various men he would like to add to his squad. Cody seemed to be agreeing with most of his ideas. They spotted me after a few moments.

"There you are. Shade and I were just deciding on his men. He's picked most of them already, though since we don't know what General Kenobi has in mind, it'll be fun to see how well it works for you." It was then that the man in question happened to arrive. He looked over the man for a few moments before commenting. 

"You certainly like to stray from tradition." He commented, pointing it towards me. 

"You know me, I never fit in." I joked. 

"Well come on then. We'll call the rest of you men on the way back to the ship."

I perked up a bit. "Another mission?"

He nodded. "And one I believe you'll be able to play a big part in." I smiled, recieving what felt like a proud look from Cody.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

"So, Cody. You've worked with Commander Kirimoto. Is there anything I should know?" Shade asked, apprehensive about many things. 

Cody seemed amused. "Syntrian is a fine Commander, and she will prove herself to you. But if you let your men doubt her, she will doubt herself. I would also watch out for that lightsaber of hers. It'll throw you off the first time she lights it."

"You speak highly of her." The younger clone noticed. 

Cody smiled, "Syntrian is one of the Jedi who actually give a damn about us. Despite the fact that she's only recently joined us, the 212th have begun to see her as a protective big sister. Should you manage to become her friend, you'll be rewarded. She does everything she can to protect those under her."

"It's good to know we won't be used as cannon fodder." Shade jokes. 

"She's a good one alright. That's why, if she dies, you'll have the whole of the 212th trying to hunt you down." Cody threatened. The two entered the briefing, Shade now donning his new set of armor. He took advantage of his training while he customized it, giving himself a Kama and a set of pauldrons. He had wondered what color he should use on his armor. He and his men eventually settled with a dark grey, painted over most of it, making it seem like whatever designs they had were painted in white. Shade also prefered to use duel pistols, and had a long range scope on his helmet. 

"Good, now that we're all here, we can begin." Kenobi stated. "This time, our mission is to free the locals. The basics are that Cody and I will engage the separatist from the front, while Syntrian and her team will sneak behind them and disable as many of their cannons and other weapons as they can. We'll start with this city here." He pointed at the map. "We'll occupy them here," Another point, "While your squad comes around this cliff face. Once you get passed that, they'll have a life form sensor you'll need to get past. After that, you should be able to enter the city and roam freely so long as you don't bring attention to yourself." Once you take down their defenses and primary cannons, Cody and I will be able to bring our troops in to aid you in capturing the city. Any questions?"

Shade spoke up. "Sir, I understand that we're suppose to be a stealth squad, but how do you expect us to get past a lifeform scanner?"

Syntrian grinned. "That'll be my job. You'll just have to sit back and watch." Shade got the feeling he was going to learn a lot about his commander on this mission. He wasn't sure if he was excited, or apprehensive. 

Shade seemed to me to be a good man. As we were walking to meet with the rest of them men, he was telling me stories of how other cadets used to tease him when they were younger because of his white hair. He also told me that he felt a strange relief when he first saw me. Said he had a good feeling about me. Then we walked into his barracks, which ended up right beside my room. There were nine men inside. They all stood at attention when we entered. 

"At ease." Shade stated. "This is Jedi Commander Syntrian Kirimoto. She is the one on charge of this squad. You will follow her lead." A chorus of 'Yes, sir' was heard before they started to relax. "Introduce yourselves. I don't want any confusion when we get out there." Shade stated, taking up a spot leaning against the door. I ended up sitting on one of the bunks.

The first one introduced himself. "Jinx, sir. I'm a medic."

"And one with damn bad bedside manner." Another joked. He had a lightning bolt tattooed on the right side of his face. 

"Ah don't listen to him. You know Stunner, he's a bit of a dick. I'm Vos. That's Bits." He pointed to a man who had wasted no time in dyeing his hair a bright purple. 

I looked to the next clone, this one had a mean look to him, but stayed silent. "That's Joha. For some reason, he only speaks Mando'a." I raised an eyebrow at that fact. 

"Klicks. I'm a sniper." Klicks seemed to have a crosshair tattoo over his eye. 

The eighth one seemed to be tinkering with something. "Junkpile." 

"Eh, don't mind him. He's always messing with something. I'm Hellfire by the way." The trooper still had his helmet on. He had two white lines running straight down. 

"I'm Sixty-Six." The final clone stated. I noted that he had said number on his neck. I nodded, a bit of a smile on my face. 

"It's nice meeting all of you. However, before we get out there, there are some things you should be aware of." They all had their attention on me. "First off, you've probably heard a rumor or two about my lightsaber. A couple of them looked confused but they mostly knew what I was talking about. 

Shade spoke up. "The only thing Cody would tell me was that it would be trippy."

I chuckled. "That's one way to put it. Watch." I grabbed it, igniting it. I could tell they were confused. Until I started to move it. Then they were amazed.

"Man, I really wanna see how that works." Junkpile stated. He definitely likes to tinker with things. He got a few stern glares. 

"The second thing you should know is that I can deceive tech into thinking I'm not there. You should know that you all will probably start becoming difficult to detect once we've spent more time together." 

"That's so cool!" Junkpile emoted. The others had varying reactions. We joked around for a few minutes before I had to leave. 

"Our mission starts in an hour. We'll meet in the hanger bay." I stated walking out. 

Once Syntrian was gone, the clones began to talk amongst themselves. 

"Sir, are we sure we can trust her. She doesn't seem that confident in herself." Sixty-six asked. 

Shade sighed. "From what I've been told, She is capable of believing in herself, but only if she feels like those around her do too."

"Have you read her file? The medics never really got to get a look at her for years. Apparently, before her last master, General Vall, died, he did everything he could to demean her." Jinx added. The clones all shuddered at the mention of the dead man's name. 

"Well Shade. You should be right in your element there. You have plenty of experience in that field." Hellfire stated. "Hell, the two of you even have the same hair." That got the men snickering. 

"Hellfire, we may have been on the same cadet squad, but could you at least pretend to respect the fact that I'm in charge of you." Captain Shade stated. 

"I dunno Shade. Not all of us get fancy promotions the moment we first step foot off Kamino." Klicks jokes. "Maybe the commander just likes you."

Vos chimed in, "Guys. I think we need to start by getting along. We can figure out how we feel about our new Commander later." Bits just laughed. 

"Alright boys. Play times over. Let's get to the hanger before we're missed." Shade commanded. 

"Fine. But I'm not sure how I feel being lead by a child." Stunner stated. 

" _Copaani mirshmure'cye, vod? _"1 Joha asked.__

____

"Ahh, shut it." Stunner stated. 

____

____

In the hanger bay, they met back up with Syntrian, who happened to be with Cody and Kenobi. They spoke a few words before stepping into their own gunships and heading off. 

____

"Here's where the fun begins." Hellfire stated excitedly.

____

" _Ib'tuur jatne tuur ash'ad kyr'amur! _"2 Joha exclaimed.__

______ _ _

"That it is buddy. That it is." Bits agreed. It was at this point that Syntrian realized she would either need a translator or to learn Mando'a. She simply shook her head at their antics as they were preparing for their mission. If only they knew what lay in store for them. 

______ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations-
> 
> 1\. Are you looking for a smack in the face, mate?
> 
> 2\. Today is a good day for someone else to die.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

We landed with little difficulty. Which was odd, landings were never smooth. At the very least, Shade also thought this was strange. We stepped off, and still nothing. 

" _Ret Ia'arate Kenobi cuyir taylir etid uheke? _" Joha asked. He sounded sceptical.__

____

Vos answer him. "I dunno, but it seems awfully quiet. 

____

"Something's wrong here." Hellfire stated. "There should at least be a patrol or something."

____

"I agree." I interject, "Perhaps they know something of our plan?"

____

Shade chimed in. "This is too weird. I think we should head off immediately, I get the feeling we're being watched." We went off in the direction we were pointed during the briefing. The rugged terrain was a challenge to cross and I found it amazing that people lived here. Even more so that the separatist found it worth while to occupy this place. We had to climb over boulders and under long dead trees. There was dust blowing just about every where, and yet, the few trees that were around seemed to have a soft glow to them. It was a strange place. 

____

Then we came to a fork in the path. One was seemed to head to our destination, and the other lead up, to the tops of the cliffs. We paused for a moment. 

____

"Why are we stopped?" Stunner asked, mildly annoyed. I got the feeling he was going to question my every move. 

____

"Klicks, take Bits and Junkpile. I want you to see what's out that way. If I'm right then it should lead you to a good sniper nest." The sniper obeyed, running off with the other two behind him. I could hear Stunner questioning me through their private channel. It chipped away at me, but I think it could make for more of an impact if I bring it up later. We then continued on, the next part of the journey being across the cliff face. At least there was something to stand on?

____

"Are we really going to cross this? Seems like it would have been easier to go to the top with Klicks." Stunner complained. 

____

Vos spoke up. "Were you even paying attention to the plan? This was the chosen path because they won't be monitoring it." I picked up the sound of a blaster being fired. They heard it too. Then a moment later the comm went off. 

____

"Commander, be careful. The creatures here attacked us. They killed Bits and dragged him off." Klicks stated, a hint of remorse in his voice. 

____

"I guess we know what was watching us..." Sixty-six stated. I took a moment to process it, then pushed forward. They seemed hesitant but followed anyway. 

____

The wind buffeted us, threatening to pull us off. The ledge was narrow enough that we edged along, backs to the cliff. Hellfire and Joha seemed to be having some trouble, and I kept hearing curses from many of them. We inched our way along, hoping that we wouldn't fall. Finally, the end came, and I was glad to see a small alcove before the next phase of the plan. I stepped off first, then Shade and Sixty-six. Jinx and Vos came next, although Jinx seemed to be shaking a bit. Joha and Hellfire made it safe. Then, as Stunner was on the last few feet, the ledge crumbled. He fell, screaming. I reached out using the force, and managed to catch him. He seemed to be in shock and I brought him up, placing him safely away from the edge.

____

Jinx took a moment to look him over, but Stunner just kept mumbling. "I thought I was dead. I thought I would die. Since when do Jedi bother to catch their men. Why aren't I dead?..."

____

I smiled warmly. "Stunner, besides the fact that you've taken every opportunity to bad mouth me, I still value your lives. Besides, we've already lost too many on this mission." They all seemed surprised. 

____

Jinx stood up a moment later. "He's alright Commander, but I don't think we should bring him with us for the rest of the mission. The state he's in could last a while, and he is a liability until he calms down." I thought for a moment, my expression turning a bit darker. 

____

"Alright. Vos, please stay with him. When he calms down enough, I want the two of you to join up with whichever squad is closest." Vos did as he was told, and we continued on. Stunner was still mumbling about not being dead as we went out of earshot. 

____

____

Another ten minutes saw us nearing the shield. I motioned for the others to stop, and we took a moment to look around. 

____

"Klicks, have you seen anything useful?" Shade asked the sniper. 

____

"I believe that the shield generator itself is in the middle of the complex, but I don't see any guards. I think you guys should be careful." Klicks cut out, and we returned our focus back to our small group. 

____

" _Ni narir va emuurir ibic _." Joha stated.__

______ _ _

"I don't like it either _Vod _. It's gotta be a trap." Hellfire stated.__

____

______ _ _

____

Sixty-six chimed in. "I think it's time to destroy it." He smirked. 

____

______ _ _

____

"You guys stay here. I got this." I stated, taking a deep breath. As I walked towards it, I allowed myself to fall back into my 'hidden' mode. The shield passed over me. A moment later and the lifeform sensor was fooled. I smiled, but kept walking. 

____

______ _ _

____

"You should go a few more steps." Klicks stated. "Now stop. It's four feet to your left." I looked around and saw what seemed to be the controls for the sensors. They were disabled with a wave of my hand. 

____

______ _ _

____

"Alright. You boys should be able to join me." I stated. 

____

______ _ _

____

It was a few minutes before they had all caught up, and by then, Sixty-six and Hellfire had just about figured how to destroy the thing. Then I heard the sounds of droids. 

____

______ _ _

____

"You boys need to hurry. There's a whole battalion of clankers closing in." Klicks stated. 

____

______ _ _

____

" _Osi'kyr. ibac cuyir va jate. _"__

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

"You don't say?" Jinx retorted sarcastically.

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

"We're ready sir! It's linked to the comm so we should be able to blow it any time."

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

"All right, Hellfire. Now, let's get out of here." I stated, leading the escape. "Klicks, inform Vos and Stunner of the plan, and do what you can to help get us out of here." He acknowledged and went silent for a moment. Then came back and began to tell us where the droids were at. 

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

It took much longer than it should have to escape the facility, and now we were on our way to meet up with Obi-wan. But first we still had to blow the shield. As we stood at the edge of it, I nodded to Shade, who hit the button. It exploded, but it was stronger than we thought, perhaps there were fuel cell or something we hadn't seen?

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

I was hit in the side with shrapnel. I was able to notice a few others fall. Then I was on my back. There was yelling. Suddenly, it was dark. 

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

Then I found myself trapped. I wretched my eyes open, and found myself buried. Someone was yelling for me. I felt faint, but the adrenaline rushing through me kept me awake. I looked to my left and my arm was pinned. To my right I saw Shade. He was also trapped, and I hoped he was only unconscious. 

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

The voices were growing closer. It sounded like someone was giving orders. I heard Shade groan. At least he wasn't dead. Then I found someone staring at me. 

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

" _Me'vaar ti gar? _"__

____

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

"Joha?" I asked, uncertain. 

____

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

" _Mhi cuyir bakyiye. A euk gaa'tayl olar? _" Shade responded, slowly and painfully. It sounded like he was hurt. Joha called to someone else. Once they were ready, Joha and someone else lifted the debris. Shade was pulled out first. Then Jinx pulled me from the rubble. I heard him curse.__

____

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

"This is bad. Bad bad bad." He turned to the others. "Help me get them over there. I'll be able to take a better look then." Jinx commanded. Shade groaned as he was lifted. I admit, I did the same.

____

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

It was only as I was being set down when I noticed the blood dripping into my eye. With my whole body in pain I hadn't noticed the cut. Jinx removed his helmet and took out his field medpack. He stuck me with something, then touched my side. I winced, it hurt like hell. 

____

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

"Sir, this is going to hurt, but I have to treat this our you will die." He explained calmly. He then began whatever he was doing. He was right though. It did hurt. 

____

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

"J-Jinx. What's going on. Give... Give me a statis re... Report." I managed to get the words out. 

____

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

"So far," He stated as he worked. "Klicks and Junkpile are fine. They were far enough away from the blast. Joha, Hellfire and Sixty-six received more minor wounds. A few cuts and such. Right now I'm more concerned about You and Shade, Sir. The two of you have the more serious wounds." He stated. He cursed again, but neverlost focus. At this point, I noticed the rest of the troopers had formed a perimeter. Jinx seemed to be finished with my side for now, and proceeded to cover it. 

____

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

"This should hold for now, but you're still in danger." He went to examine the cut on my face. "This is deep, I should try to patch it..." He mumbled. 

____

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

"Jinx... Listen. Go tend... Tend to the others. They need... Need help too."

____

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

"But Sir! If I don't get this closed up..."

____

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

I interrupted. "I don't care Jinx. Go.. Go tend to your b... Brothers." It hurt to talk, but taking a look at Shade told me he was also in bad shape. I watched the medic work for a few minutes before Klicks approached. 

____

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

"Sir! We've contacted General Kenobi, he'll be sending a ship immediately."

____

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

"Good. Get.. Get the men..." It was getting harder to concentrate and my vision was starting to swim. "Get the men together." I finally stated. 

____

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

Jinx was in front of me again. "Sir. Please be quiet. You're going to reopen your wound like this." He ordered. Things were growing further away.

____

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

"Cody's gonna kill me if we survive this." Shade joked painfully. "It would seem the droids are coming." There was yelling. Something about being overrun. I sat up, much to the displeasure of most everyone, but pushed myself up against the wall. If I focused, I could see them out a ways. I thought for a moment, uncertain. 

____

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

"General Kenobi better hurry. Otherwise it won't matter how hurt you are." Jinx joked. 

____

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

I had a plan. "Jinx. Tell..." I winced, a new wave of blood coming from the wound. "Tell the men to get close. I've... I've got an idea..." I whispered. I think I heard him calling to the others before trying to get my bleeding to stop again. I took as deep of a breath as I could, and focused as well as was possible. I reached out to the rubble surrounding us and brought it closer, forming a wall. I thought I heard someone begging me to stop and rest. I didn't care. I wasn't going to let them die because of me. Not again. Not like Renegade. Ren... 

____

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

When I was done, and just on the verge of passing out, I mumbled over to Shade. "When... When help comes... Tell... Tell Ken..." I winced, but was growing tired. "Tell him I'm s... Sorry. For being such a... A failure...." I smiled. Maybe now I could see Ren again. 

____

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations-
> 
> 1\. Perhaps General Kenobi is keeping them busy?
> 
> 2\. I don't like this. 
> 
> 3\. Brother.
> 
> 4\. Shit. That's not good. 
> 
> 5\. How are you? (Lit: what's new with you?) Can also be used to ask a soldier for a sitrep. If a Mando asks you this, they expect an answer; it's literal.. 
> 
> 6\. We're trapped. A little help here?


	15. Chapter Fifteen

Overhead, Cody stood in one of the gunships, having been sent along with several medics to go aid their stealth team. He wasn't entirely certain what had happened. He had heard part of the transmission, but only part. Ten seconds hadn't even passed before General Kenobi had sent them out. 

From their vantage point, Cody could see that they had managed to use the rubble to form a protective barrier, and he had been surprised to see the last of the rubble moving. He figured that Syntrian had a major part in it. He gave the order to land, and watched a group of three that seemed to be where the padawan was. Cody also noticed that Shade seemed to be there. Then he started to grow concerned when they weren't moving. Was he too late?

The ships landed, and the Commander ordered for the medics to start with Syntrian and Shade. No sooner did he give that order than he as approached by their medic. He regretted that he didn't remember the man's name, but this wasn't the time for those types of thoughts. 

"Commander Cody, Sir!"

"Report trooper." He responded. 

"Commander Syntrian is in critical shape. I fear she won't last long enough to make it back to the Negotiator. Captain Shade is only marginally better. His legs are broken and he has a piece of something lodged in his chest, but he's still conscious. We lost Bits a while ago to some wildlife, and Vos is a short way off with Stunner. Otherwise the rest of the men got away with minor injuries." The man finished his report, and rushed to be by his Commander. 

A minute later, she was brought to the gunship, and Cody had to say he was surprised. The left side of her body seemed covered in blood, and her arm was jutting out strangely. He also noted the deep gash that had gone over her right eye. He had seen enough injuries to know that was going to leave one hell of a scar. 

Then Captain Shade came passed, and at a glance seemed better than the Jedi, despite the long metal pipe sticking from his chest. He seemed nearly distraught over the whole thing. Cody made a note to make sure he was in that Gunship when it took off. Then he ordered the rest of her men into the second gunship. Once everyone was loaded, he took a place between the two, and gave to order to head back to the ship, as fast as possible. 

He took to talking with the Captain as they traveled, although Shade was the one to start it. "I suppose this isn't the best start we could have had."

"No, but you did manage to keep most everyone alive. That's something."

The injured man laughed painfully. "Ehh, She did that. I just made sure she could." The two were silent the rest of the way as they had given Shade some sedatives.

Cody was quiet when they reached the ship. He knew his General wasn't going to be in the best of moods when he returned, and yet, he couldn't help but share those feelings. They had managed to stabilize Syntrian enough that they could put her in the bacta tank until she healed, and yet, they were having difficulty securing her vitals. The clone knew that it was because her instincts were to stay hidden before anything else, and thus, she would become invisible to tech. Cody had always found it odd that someone could manipulate the force this way, but he figured he just didn't understand the jedi as well as he thought he did. 

He was currently on his way to see the rest of the squad, most of which were in a different part of the medbay. With both of their commanding officers out of battle at the moment, Cody was in command of them. He knew they weren't exactly the most cohesive unit, and yet, they had made it through. He could hear them chatting and what not as he approached, picking up on a few things here and there. 

" _Gar mirdir val malyasa'yr cuyir urnr? _" Cody chuckled as he heard Joha talk. Out of all of them, Joha was one of them that Cody had taken from his own men. He had always found the man strange, and never knew why he only spoke Mando'a.__

____

The eight of them shut right up when he entered the room. Some of them were standing, the rest were on the various beds. 

____

"At ease." He commanded, wondering how long it would take for these troops to get more comfortable around him. 

____

"Sir!" Vos stated, "Any word?" The man asked. 

____

Cody gave a small smile, "They're stable, but still in bad shape. Shade will probably be back to you tomorrow. As for Syntrian, they're still unsure about how long it will take for her to recover." He watched the men react to the news. They were happy, but then grew more solem. Cody had to say, he was surprised that they already seemed close to their commander. 

____

" _Da'ha Cody, biai ia'arate Kenobi taylir laam? _"__

______ _ _

"Not sure yet, though he's scheduled to return shortly. You'll probably be able to find him in the medbay later checking on his padawan. I would be cautious though, he'll probably be in a sour mood." He stated. Joha seemed to take this in stride. Cody stayed a few minutes longer talking to the men before the comm went off, telling the commander that the Jedi was returning. 

______ _ _

______ _ _

Cody met back up with his General a few minutes later. Kenobi almost instantly wanted to know how his padawan was doing. Then the two of them walked back to the medbay. Cody gave him a general report on her condition, but he could tell that the man was worried. Then he began to explain how they were having trouble even verifying her vitals and Kenobi sighed heavily. The Jedi mentioned something about her always trying to hide as they came to the medbay. 

______ _ _

It was one of the medics that approached them and started expressing their apprehension involving Syntrian. Cody watched as Kenobi took a minute to think, and he couldn't help but notice how tired his general seemed to be. He watched, curious, as the older man went to sit on one of the open beds. Cody thought the jedi must be trying to meditate, but he found the timing weird. 

______ _ _

Someone exclaimed happily when their sensors came to life. It seemed that whatever General Kenobi was doing made an impact. The medics thanked the man before Cody left with his general. Apparently he had gotten word that the council wished to speak with him. 

______ _ _

______ _ _

Cody stood a few feet back, watching the Jedi arguing back and forth. Apparently the Duchess of Mandalore had a certain problem, one she believe could be solved by what she referred to as 'That Jedi who could deceive scanners'. Why she was asking the Jedi or even how she had heard of the padawan was unknown. 

______ _ _

As he watched, Cody got the feeling that Syntrian was as much an outside to the Jedi as the clones were to the general populations. Some of them were willing to let her go, hoping that it would eventually lead to a stronger bond with the neutral world. Then there were others who didn't trust her enough to do such a mission. Cody wondered what it was about her that caused such feelings. 

______ _ _

It had been a while since Cody watched General Kenobi fight with someone who wasn't Skywalker. Cody knew that it was exhausting to fight with a Jedi, and to be doing so with so many must be draining on his Jedi. The Commander wondered if that was one of the reasons he seemed so tired recently. 

______ _ _

Eventually, Kenobi seemed to win the argument, and the rest of them fell silent. Cody thought that his general shouldn't have to be fighting this hard to give his padawan a chance. It was something that Cody didn't think he would ever understand. Even amongst the clones, a brother was a brother no matter how different they were. He had assumed the Jedi were similar. 

______ _ _

The last Cody saw of Obi-wan that day was when he accompanied him back to his quarters. Afterwards, Cody returned to his own, both to relax and start on the multiple reports he had to fill out. After all, since Shade was currently unconscious, Cody had to fill in for him as one of his CO's. He thought he should get a more complete report from Shade's men, but figured it could wait till morning. 

______ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations-
> 
> 1\. You think they'll be alright?
> 
> 2\. Thanks Cody, hows general Kenobi holding up?


	16. Chapter 16

The first thing I was aware of was that things felt off. The second thing was that I was still alive. Then my senses started to come back. It sounded like I was in the medbay. Someone was talking near me. Who though? It doesn't matter. What matters is that I'm alive. My lips feel chapped. How long have I been out? It felt like I was lying in one of the beds, so I should be healed? I'm not certain. The last time I got that badly wounded, Vall punished me harshly. 

I wretched my eyes open, feeling oddly refreshed. I looked around a moment before figuring out where the talking was coming from. To my left, Shade was speaking to Obi-wan and Cody. It seemed like they were getting a more detailed report. It was about then when someone came over to check my vitals and what not. It seemed that Jinx got more than he bargained for though. 

"Commander! You're awake!" He stated, as if I didn't already know that. He did however, get the attention of the others. They were looking at me with relieved gazes as I pushed myself into a sitting position. I winced, apparently not at a hundred percent quiet yet. Yet, I felt a bit of remorse coming from Jinx. 

"Look at that, seems you can survive having your side ripped open." Shade joked darkly. 

"I certainly hope so. I would hate to lose such a promising padawan." Obi-wan joined in. 

It seemed to be Cody's turn. "I know. There's certainly no one else to beat the men at their own drinking games." I happened to look over just as Shade was giving the commander a curious reaction. 

"Maybe I'll have to come back down there and beat all your asses again. Perhaps this time my men could join in too." I stated, losing Shade. 

"Is this a bad time to ask what you're even talking about?" Jinx asked. 

Both Cody and Obi-wan laughed. "Just a little debauchery shortly after Syntrian came to be here. I would just recommend never challenging her to a drinking contest." Cody warned. I snickered a bit and Obi-wan had a mix of amusement and regret on his face. We joked about a few more minutes before Obi-wan put a stop to it. 

"As much as I enjoy joking about like this, I did come here for a reason." He began. "And since you're awake now, I can tell you about your next mission."

"Already? I've barely recovered from the last one."

He looked more serious, and a bit longing? "The duchess of Mandalore has requested you, specifically, to help her solve a problem. Unfortunately, we don't know why she came to the Council or how she knew about you. What we do know is that she said it was urgent and that she would appreciate it if you could go as soon as possible." He stated. 

"And the Council allowed this? It's not exactly like they trust me." I stated bitterly. 

He sighed. "It took some convincing, but they did eventually agree that it was in their best interests. The Council hopes that by aiding her now, it will forge some type of partnership." That sounded more like the council. 

"Fine." I stated dejectedly. "I'll leave when Jinx lets me out of here."

"Sir, If I may." Shade stated. "I would like to go with you, if only to make sure you don't get yourself killed." He smirked. I gave him an amused glare. 

"Then it's settled. You two shall head out once you've been discharged. Cody shall take command of your men until you return." He smiled slightly. By now, Jinx had moved over to check up on Shade. Cody and Obi-wan were on their way out. 

"Commander." Jinx mumbled as he continued. I found it odd. 

I kept my gaze on him, wondering why the feeling of remorse had grown. "What are you so upset about? It doesn't seem to be like you."

"It's just that it's my fault you have that scar..." I couldn't help the moment of amusement. 

"Jinx. I ordered you to help the others. It was my choice, you did what you were told."

He turned to me, and I could see he was distressed. "A Jedi is worth more than any clone. I should have overruled you. Now you have to live with the consequences." 

"It's not your fault Jinx." I stated softly. "Besides. I already had scars, they just weren't visible." They were both silent for a moment. 

"Hey, at least it's _Nitcaru. _" Shade stated. His comment got both men laughing.__

____

"Get outta here, Shade." Jinx said once the laughter subsided. "You're fine. I think I'll keep the Commander for a while yet though."

____

"You know, someday you boys'll call me by my name." I wished. 

____

"Someday, but not today, Commander." Shade stated, happily making his way out of the room. 

____

____

It was much later that night when I was allowed to leave to medbay. I figured that my boys were asleep by now, so I decided to just let them be for now. I figured that I could tell them anything I needed to in the morning, presuming Shade hadn't already told them. 

____

That changed when one of them called out to me as I was about to enter my quarters. I turned to find Vos staring at me. He looked pleased.

____

"I see Jinx let you out."

____

"Guess he didn't want to deal with me long than he had to." I joked, but I felt a twinge of worthlessness hit me. I sighed internally, not needing to let that get out. It made me realize I still had a way to go. 

____

"I don't doubt it." My confidence fell for a moment. "You probably served as a reminder of how close you and the captain came to dying. He blames himself you know. Says that wouldn't have happened if he was just better."

____

"That's silly. He's the reason we're still alive."

____

"Then I think you need to make him believe that." Vos stated, "He's reminded of his 'failure' every time he looks at you." He left me alone in the hall, rejoining his brothers. Perhaps I should go see him in the morning? I yawned, deciding that would probably be the best move. Speaking of, since it seems I'm going to be gone for a bit, I think I might try to learn that language of theirs. It could be a fun distraction. 

____

____

The next morning came quickly, and I was met by a knock on the door. When I answered it, Shade appeared, telling me that Obi-wan wanted to see us before we left. Then I remembered the night before, and figured that I would speak with Jinx before we joined Obi-wan. I filled Shade in on my plan, to which he seemed eager to agree, telling me that he thought the medic was acting a bit strange last night. 

____

We found him in the mess with the others, and we joined them, although I got some strange looks from a few of the newer clones in the room. My squad seemed to be in high spirits, though a couple looked to be a bit banged up. We were talking for a while and eventually most everyone could see how downcast Jinx was, despite his best attempts to hide it. 

____

I could feel that he was upset, more so than I would have thought. And strangely, it reminded me of my own feelings. I felt like I had something that I could relate to the obviously distressed clone. Once most of out table cleared out, Shade and I decided that now was the time to speak with the downcast medic. It was a talk I wasn't sure about, but Shade seemed to be more confident in what he was saying. As the conversations progressed, I felt that Jinx was starting to become less upset. It was reassuring in a way. 

____

That conversation continued all the way up until we found Obi-wan who was in the training room for some reason. Jinx left us at this point, and Obi-wan greeted us warmly. When we asked what this was all about, he said we were going to spar with him for a bit. Apparently he wanted to know how well I could handle myself. That I understood. I didn't understand why Shade was needed here. Then Obi-wan explained that both himself and Shade were going to attack me to see how I do. Shade originally refused, stating that it was against the rules to shoot at a jedi, but eventually Obi-wan convinced him. I sighed, not really having wanted to do anything early in the day. 

____

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations-
> 
> 1\. Badass


	17. Chapter 17

Syntrian had been resting in the lounge aboard the Jedi shuttle. She had decided that she was going to teach herself Mando'a, as she wanted to be able to communicate with her men more effectively. Though the trip was taking longer than she expected, she was happy that she had the chance to begin reviewing what was on her data pads. 

Shade on the other hand, was currently in the cockpit, making minor adjustments to their course and double checking that everything was going smoothly. They were fortunate enough to have an astromech with them, but Shade found that it wasn't the most precise droid. He was surprised when the mech beeped a few times, bringing up General Kenobi. He hadn't expected to hear from the man in a while. 

"Captain." The Jedi greeted. 

"General, what can I do for you?" The clone asked, running his hand through his hair.

"We've gotten a few more details from the Duchess. It should help the two of you to prepare before you get there." The older man started. "Apparently, the Duchess is being targeted. She wants our help in finding her would be assassins."

"So she asked for the Commander because of her unique abilities?" The soldier asked.

Kenobi nodded, "That's our working theory anyway. We believe that she wants to use Syntrian as a spy of sorts, and despite the council's reluctance, they have come to realise that if they continue to doubt her, than they will push my padawan to the dark side."

Shade raised an eyebrow. "Is she really that far gone?" Shade didn't believe it, having found his commander to be kind and friendly. 

Kenobi sighed heavily. "Syntrain is what we refer to as a Grey Jedi. While she doesn't let herself fall to the darkside, she still uses some of their abilities. For years, I have feared that the treatment she's been giving would push her over that line. Its only been recently that I've felt that she's turned away from it, though I highly doubt she would stop using the force in those ways."

"Well, Sir, I'll admit I don't really know much about the whole 'force' thing. What I do know, is that Commander Kirimoto seems to be friendly, and despite the fact that my men and I have hardly had anytime to get to know her, the boys seem to like her. After our latest mission, I think they respect her more than they let on." Shade watched the Jedi's expressions, and was grateful when it stopped at relieved. 

"That's good. She's gone too long not having that." Obi-wan paused a moment. "Captain, if you wouldn't mind, I would like to speak with my padawan." Shade nodded, walking off to find her. 

It took him a few minutes, but eventually he found the girl sitting in the common area. He smiled, noting the concentration on her face. Shade almost felt guilty when he startled her, telling his Commander that General Kenobi wanted to speak with her. The trooper noticed as she sat her data pad down, hiding the screen. he raised an eyebrow, at least waiting until she was out of the room before walking over to see what it was. 

Shade knew it was probably rude to snoop on his Commander, but he couldn't help that he was curious. He let out a surprised gasp when he started to read what it was. He read down through the page, noting that not only was Kirimoto trying to learn Mando'a, but she seemed to be making progress. Shade wondered if she had been at this long, noting that she was deep into the language. A warm smile crossed his features, he assumed that Joha had sparked her interest in this. He decided then and there that he would help her any way he could. After all, as far as Shade was aware, there weren't any Jedi outside of General Kenobi and perhaps Shak Tii that knew anything of the language. 

He was startled when Kirimoto came back in the room. She had called over to him, and sounded a bit off. Turning to look at her, Shade couldn't help to notice that she looked embarrassed of all things. Was he not suppose to know this? He gave her the datapad back, and went to go back to the cockpit, but he was stopped as she grabbed his arm. 

"Shade, wait..." She seemed to grow insecure? "Since you know now... Would you help?" He looked at the Jedi, noting the obvious effort it took her to ask that. Shade kept a warm expression on his face as he responded. 

"Of course. It's not often we see Mando'a spread outside our Vod. It's an honor that you would even think about it." He noted that she still looked uncomfortable. Shade wondered what brought her to this state. 

"Th-thanks." She stuttered. Shade didn't know what to make of this. Sure he had only just met her not that long ago, but he had gotten the impression that she was more confident than this. Kirimoto had definitely come off more like a General than a cadet who was being scolded. Even in the few instances where she was doubting herself, she still seemed confident. 

Shade put his hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her, "Anytime, just find me when you want to go over something. Promise I won't bite. Oh, and I promise I won't tell the others." She seemed to relax slightly with this. Shade went back to the cockpit, wondering if General Kenobi was still there. Shade knew he needed to talk to the man. Sadly, the transmission had ended, which meant they were on their own for now. 

It was another ten hours before we reached Mandalore. Shade popped up a couple of times to help me out, but I always felt like I was inconveniencing him. He would tell me it's no problem, but I still secretly think it is. 

He stood beside me as we disembarked, a couple guards leading us. We ended up in a speeder, one of the guards driving. I could feel the curious glances coming from every direction. It was uncomfortable. Every so often, I could tell that Shade was giving me one of those glances too. I cursed myself for having let him see that back on the ship. I was suppose to be the unshakable jedi leading troops in this war. It felt more like he was leading me....

Eventually we were lead into a rather large seeming palace. It was bright and was large and open. We were brought before who I assumed to be the Duchess. She seemed relieved we were here. She dismissed those she was speaking with, and turned to us as we approached the throne. 

"Welcome, I trust your trip went well." She greeted. "I am Duchess Satine. I trust you are the jedi I've heard about?"

I took a deep breath. "Yes, although I am a padawan only." She smiled at this. "I am Syntrian Kirimoto, and this is my Captain, Shade." I introduced, gesturing as I spoke. The Duchess almost seemed to sit a bit straighter. Something about my name caused this. 

"It's a pleasure to meet you, however, before we get to business, may I ask a question?" She stated. I nodded. "Do you happen to know a jedi by the name of Obi-wan Kenobi? How is he doing?" I gave a surprised look, and I could tell that Shade was confused. 

"Obi-wan seemed fine the last time I talked with him, if a bit tired, though I don't see why this is important." I stated. She didn't say anything for a few moments, relief crossing her features.

She seemed to be focused now. "I have asked you here so that you could help uncover a plot to overthrow me and ruin our government. We don't know much, other than the fact that it's somehow tied to to drug ring in some of the more unsightly areas. I'm betting, that with a reputation like yours, that you'll be able to figure out the source of this plot and put an end to it."

"This seems like a job for a bounty hunter. Why do you need a Jedi?" I questioned. 

She sighed, "I've tried bounty hunters, as you suggest. And yet, they always seem to be found out long before they get anywhere useful. Perhaps it has something to do with their notoriety?"

"So you found someone who had the reputation of a spy of sorts, but one who is all but unknown. Interesting." I stated, doing a good enough job at hiding my nerves. Another man walked in.

"This is my Chief of security, He'll provide you with whatever you need." Shade and I nodded, turing to the man. He smiled and lead us through a maze of hallways.


	18. Chapter 18

Shade was looking over some of the progress they had made in the past few days. So far, they hadn't gotten much other than the reports from the now dead bounty hunters. Shade had to admit, whoever these guys were, they were good. They were having trouble trying to figure out how to find these guys, and Shade knew that if they couldn't find a way to do it safely, then Kirimoto would most definitely attempt to infiltrate and spy on them.

Having read through her file in his spare time, he found it unique to say the least. He hadn't known that a Jedi would stoop to an infiltration, as it seemed rather dark. He thought it might have had something to do with this Jedi Master Vall that was mentioned, but he couldn't be certain. Shade had thought that Jedi were raised to be more straightforward than that. 

It was then that Shade caught the light snores coming from his left. Kirimoto had fallen asleep. He smiled, suppressing a chuckle. The Padawan always looked so happy when she was asleep. It was a stark difference from what she let people see. The captain then noticed she had another datapad in her hand. He took it, careful not to wake her, then covered her with a blanket. Shade knew that some Jedi had trouble sleeping and he would make sure that Kirimoto wasn't one of them. 

He glanced down at the pad, noting the Mando'a on the screen. He set in on the table, muttering to himself in said language. 

"You never stop, do you? I see now that this will be an interesting command." He thought back to the trip here. He remembered how vulnerable she looked as she spoke. Kirimoto was a jedi, and everything Shade was taught told them that Jedi were suppose to be invincible. So now, here he was, uncertain how to respond. He had never thought that any Jedi would admit to feeling exposed, and even less so in front of their men. Shade thought about it some more, thinking that she does a good job hiding her true feelings in front of others. 

Then he chuckled, the memory of overhearing Kirimoto asking General Kenobi and Cody if it would be alright should she also wish to have some form of armor. Shade nearly burst out laughing. This Jedi of his was damn reckless at times, and he was surprised she didn't already have any. He wondered, if perhaps, he asked about it... 

Shade got up, going off to find either the Duchess or her security chief. Eventually, he managed to find one of them, it was the Duchess. Then they panicked, not recognising him. It took Shade a few minutes to convince them he was who he said he was. Then she asked what he could possibly want at this hour. They talked for a few minutes, over Shade's request, and agreed that it would be done once Kirimoto was able to solve their current problem. 

I woke the next morning feeling refreshed. It wasn't often that I got to sleep on something that wasn't hard. I looked around, finding that Shade had taken the time to tidy up a bit last night, although he was nowhere to be seen. I wonder where he went? I stretched, taking a minute to find the datapad with the current intel on it. I looked it over once more before deciding to grab something to eat. 

It was then that I found Shade, who was already eating something. It was apparently better than the rations he's been given, as his face keeps lighting up. I stifle a chuckle, it would do no good to embarrass him in this manner. I sat, finding a plate already prepared for me on the rather sizable table. There was little conversation for a while, up until the point where we began discussing our plans for the day. 

"I think we should start by figuring out who this 'Crusher' is. I get the feeling that he's going to be important."

Shade nodded thoughtfully. "If you can, how do you think your going to find him?"

"Thought I'd see if anyone knows a guy by the name of Crusher. Thought that would work." I stated sarcastically. It got a chuckle from the rest of those seated around the table. "But seriously, I think I'm just going to take a stroll, see what I can find." I could feel the skeptical glances I was getting. "Shade, your welcome to come along if you'd like, but I would prefer if you wore something more civilian. It should be enough to disguise you."

"Sir?!" He asked, surprised. "What makes you think they won't recognise me?"

I smirked. "Shade, you know as well as I do that to most people, you look just different enough that you won't be immediately taken for a clone. Now, if we were to use that to our advantage, and give you something that's not armor to wear, it should do enough to make the general population think that you just happen to look similar to a clone." He grumbled something but agreed. I could tell that a few of the guards were trying to hold back their laughter, obviously finding this to be amusing. 

"I happen to agree with Kirimoto." The Duchess stated, "A change of outfit does in fact make you hard to peg as a clone." It sounded like something entertaining happened last night. I was sad to miss it. 

After breakfast, Shade and I began our search, although Shade kept grumbling about not wearing his armor. I couldn't help but find it amusing. I myself decided the best course of action was going to be to keep my lightsaber out of view, which I accomplished by grabbing a small pouch that I had fastened to my left leg. The Duchess was kind enough to supply us with a few coins, noting that republic credits weren't accepted in most places. Shade was reporting on the various things he could see, but was doing his best to speak in Mando'a, and would only respond if I did the same to the best of my abilities. 

Soon enough, we entered a small park, and took to standing near the edge. I got a weird feeling from this place, almost like I would get some tiny bit of information from here. I relayed this to Shade, who suddenly got a lot more serious. I took a few minutes to observe what was going on, noting a few rather shifty looking people. I discreetly pointed them out to Shade, who seemed to agree. I watched nonchalantly for a minute as another group came up to them. They talked for a moment, though I only got bits of it, then they left. I repeated the Mando'a I had heard to Shade, who told me they were talking about a boss, and how someone wasn't happy. It was then I caught something being dropped into the fountain.

The moment they were out of sight I ran over to it. I saw a small box, and I pulled it out as Shade caught up to me. I looked it over a moment, then I heard a near silent tick. And another, and another. I took a sharp breath, turning to Shade. 

"It's a bomb. I think. I also think it's counting down." I stated quietly. "I want you to try to get people out of here without causing too much of a commotion." He nodded, rushing off. I swallowed hard, trying to focus. I concentrated on the small box, feeling my way around it with the force. Yup, definitely a bomb. I barely noticed as the park grew quiet. The ticks were growing faster. I couldn't find what I needed. 

I dropped it as Shade pulled me away, the bomb going off the moment it left my hand. We were thrown back, and I cried out, ears ringing. It had gotten part of my right hand. I bit my lip as I pushed myself up, noting that my ring and pinky were gone, as well as that side of my hand down to my wrist. It was also bleeding heavily. The flesh still around it was burnt, and I noted that both Shade and I were beat up. I felt myself grow lightheaded, gripping my bleeding hand. 

"Sir, we have to get you to the hospital." Shade commanded. I didn't have the chance to argue, as a moment later, medics starting rushing us. They all but pulled Shade from me, and put the two of us on stretchers to take in. They stuck something in my neck, and I noticed Shade trying to fight them. 

Hours later, Shade was pacing back and forth, waiting to see Commander Kirimoto. He had contacted the Duchess, telling her what had happened, which is the only reason they weren't arrested for terrorism. It was also why said leader was currently 'touring' the hospital. 

"Damn reckless Jedi." He cursed in Mando'a.

A chuckle from behind. "Is that so? Here I thought that was just a trait they all had in common, not a personal one." The Duchess stated, coming up behind the soldier. "From what I've gathered, the two of you discovered the bomb, and you managed to get almost all of my people out of the area, meaning the two of you were the only casualties. A commendable action." Shade couldn't help but mentally scold himself, having forgotten that they would be able to understand him here. The two walked for a bit, while they watched as said reckless Jedi was fitted with prosthetics. Shade couldn't help but mumble about how she's starting to resemble Skywalker more and more, and yet, he had a grin on his face. And yet, he could help but notice the look on the duchess' face. She seemed to be comparing the jedi to someone. Shade only wished he knew whether that was good or bad.


	19. Chapter 19

I sighed, having had a rough week. After the explosion at the park, we had tracked down the guys we saw who dropped the bomb. They ended up leading us to a small time drug ring, which lead us one a two day hunt for another ring, which only got us back to square one. I've also had to get use to the robotic parts of my hand, though I've decided I'd rather not be seeing that at the moment, so I've started to wear a special set of gloves, which just leaves my first and middle fingers exposed. This time though, I was smart enough to ask for some armor plated to be added, which the Duchess graciously allowed. Using beskar. Which seemed expensive. Yet I wasn't going to turn away a 'gift' as she was so inclined to call it. Shade found this amusing, commenting that I looked more like a soldier now. I think he had something planned that I don't know about. 

Today though, we were searching the lower parts of the city, finding greater success here than I would have thought. I think we're getting close, and hopefully, this next warehouse will provide results. I noted there were two guards at the door, and hopefully I would get something useful from them. I nudged Shade, giving him a heads up. 

"Stop." One of them stated, it was a deep voice, coming from the more well built guard. "What reason do you have for wanting to see the Lord?" 

"First, a question if I may," I paused a moment, "Who is this lord you speak, I admit I've gotten lost a few times now and have been having trouble finding the correct building." I stated, acting as though I truly was lost.

It was all an act though, and Shade picked up on it. "It would be appreciated, my cousin here is rather bad at navigating."

"You stand before the guards of Lord Crusher. Now, what is your purpose?" The guard repeated. The other one snickered. 

"I don't think have have a reason to be here, after all they hardly look like they could be after the enforcer role." It was a younger guy. 

"Actually," I stated, perking up, "That's exactly why we're here. I may not look it, but I can handle myself pretty well." I allowed a bright smile to grace my features, pulling the guards into a false sense of security. They gave me a skeptical look, but let us inside, leading us to a large room. There were about a dozen other people inside, all apparently going after this same position. The guards left, and we went to stand in a corner. 

"Sir," Shade whispered. "Are you sure you know what your doing? This seems like a big gamble."

"Don't worry so much, I have a plan. For now, we just need to get into his good graces." We stood silently for a while observing the competition. I could see the glee on their faces as they looked me over. They had no idea what they were doing. I also found their whispers amusing. Eventually, someone new entered the room. 

"You've all gathered here today, so that we can fill a vital role for our Lord. He has sent me, his right hand, here to weed out those unworthy to be here. You shall all be tested today. Only those who prove themselves will be allowed to join his lordships enforcers." This man was tall, and lanky. And yet, I got the feeling that he was a lot stronger than he looked. 

"You shall be fighting in an elimination tournament to test your prowess in unarmed combat. The top four shall move on to the second test." He waved, another man walking about. "Each of you shall draw a number, your luck will determine who you face. Good luck, we begin in ten minutes." The man came to me, and I grabbed a number. 3. I glanced over at Shade, who grabbed the number 6.

"How do you think they're going to divide it?" I asked.

"Dunno, but I think we'll be alright."

I laughed a bit, "I'd be more worried about yourself at the moment. Based on what I've seen of you and your Vode you'll have a harder time than me." He glared at me. 

As they said, ten minutes later they began. I ended up being in the first round, fighting what seemed to be a rather large and well built man with black hair. He had confidence strewn across his face. I smirked, the round beginning. I ducked his first strike, spinning around him. I kicked the back of his knee, pulling his arm behind him. I had him on the ground in under twenty seconds, my foot digging into his shoulder blades and a sadistic smirk on my face. Everyone was stunned as the round ended, Shade included. I suppose it was to be expected, considering Shade has only ever seen me half dead. I watched the next three rounds go by uneventfully. Then came Shade's turn. 

He seemed to be evenly matched, though Shade's intense training was going to win it for him. I watched in amusement as the twink he was fighting dodged left, then right. Shade missed a punch, but recovered, avoiding the next blow. The match went on for a few minutes before Shade managed to subdue his opponent. He was sweating a bit as he came to join me. We watched the next few matches, taking note of who would be harder to beat. 

An hour later, the first round was over, and the losers were escorted out. Then it was my turn again. My opponent was one of the stronger fighters in the group, and I had an idea of how strong he was. I would have to be careful not to get caught by him. I took a deep breath, aware that my victory this time would be nowhere near as easy. The same smirk graced my features as the round began. I barely got out of the way as he threw a fast punch. Then I managed to get a hit to his side, but I knew I would need to be a bit stronger than that. He tried to taunt me, calling me weak. To which I laughed at him, making him angry. Good, it'll throw him off balance. He missed a few more strikes, but managed to hit me square in the cheek. I stumbled back, grinning wildly. I charged him, allowing the force to strengthen my blow as I kicked him in the ribs, knocking him down. He winced, groaning. The ref counted, and my match was over. I win again. 

Shade's match seemed to go easier for him, though I think it was in part to the fact that they were still stunned over my victory. Afterwards, it was said that the next test would be much harder. I hard a dark grin on my face as we went into the next room, which seemed dimmer than the first. It was explained that we were going to be in a free for all, and that they will decide their possible victors dependent on our performance. I took a glance at the other two, noting that these two both were smaller and more agile. No matter, it was going to be easy enough to take them out. I nodded to Shade in a sign telling him to do whatever he would have to. 

Then it began, and I had all three of them on me. I manage to jump up, using one of them to propel myself. They scrambled together a moment before one of them came at me again. I was caught by a stray shot, glancing across my cheek. The sharp metal on his gauntlets cutting right through my skin. This would be fun. I missed my next strike, but managed to trip him as he rebounded. I got on him, digging my heel into his groin. He winced, crying out. I took the chance to strike his face. Many times. Then I went to check on the others, they were still fighting. I jumped in, kicking the other guy in the back, taking him to the ground. As I crouched there, Shade came at me with a punch, but I used his moment against him and flipped him over me onto his back. 

They were all groaning as they called the match. The right hand came over to me, patting me on the back. 

"You've managed to impress the Lord. He would like to see you, however, he asks that you leave your pouch here."

I nodded, "If it's all the same to you, I would like it if my cousin took my things with him when he leaves. I have few things I value, but I do keep them on me." 

"As you wish." I unstrapped the small bag, tossing it to my Captain. A quick glance told him that I would be a while and to head back to the palace without me. He nodded and I was lead away. We came to a dark room, where there was a single person sitting. 

"So, your my newest enforcer."


	20. Chapter 20

Shade was brought from his sleep by the beeping of his comm. It's been a few weeks since they had last heard from General Kenobi and the captain was starting to wonder if they would hear from him before the mission was up. Shade had a few things he wanted to discuss with the Jedi, mostly about his padawan, but he knew that the mission came first. 

"Yeah?" He answered, knowing it was only Commander Syntrian. 

"Hey yeah. I'm going to need you to come get me. It seems I've found myself in a bit of a mess." 

The clone sighed, "Do I even want to know what you could have gotten into this time?" Shade was grumbling as his al'verde chuckled nervously.

"No, not really. But I would appreciate it if you would hurry." The comm cut out, so he would have to do this the hard way. He grumbled, figuring out how to track her down. Normally, he would look for life signs, but Shade had quickly learned that was out. The next best thing would have to be tracking down the one alloy she has that she can't cover up. Syntrian had made certain to add a bit to her prosthetics, knowing that it wouldn't seem out of place unless you knew what you were looking for on a scanner. 

Shade grumbled as he put on the guards outfit he had been loaned, having been told that his normal armor would be rather suspicious. He wondered how they got anything done in these. It was too heavy to be moving efficiently in, and the way the pieces were shaped just meant that it was harder for him to do certain things. He missed wearing his own armor. 

It took Shade nearly twenty minutes to find his al'verde. In that time she's managed to beat up a few randos, get in a fight with some city guards, and lose the man she was after. But Shade assumed the reason she had called was the fact that she seemed to be 'trapped'. He sighed, knowing she could easily move the rubble. He silently cursed the fact that she would go so far as to just prevent herself from using the force just for this. 

"Find out anything useful?" He asked, removing the hindrance. 

She smiled brightly, "I have, tell you later." And she rushed off, apparently still chasing whoever. Shade facepalmed, wondering if all this was truly necessary. Shade really wanted to just start taking them out, but Syntrian insisted that she wasn't quite ready yet, as apparently there were a few more that she needed to find. He decided to start the walk back to the palace, pretending to be on patrol. It wouldn't due to stand out. 

He found himself walking through the same park from before, and he noted that it looked like it had been rebuilt after what happened. He smiled softly, but then it turned sad. Shade had to admit that he missed his brothers, and he wondered what they would think of this place. It was so different from the battlefields they were used to. 

A child ran up to him, asking if he could help. Shade nodded, and the child told him they couldn't find their family. He patted the kid on the shoulder, deciding to pick them up. Shade placed the kid on his shoulders while they searched for the kids family. They didn't have any luck in the park, so they moved over to the shopping district. Shade knew they would have to check every shop. He took a few deep breaths, bringing the kid to look in the first shop, a restaurant of sorts, although Shade had never been to this particular one. The kid shook his head sadly, and they went onto the next.

The kid still hadn't found his parents by the time lunch rolled around. By then the kid was hungry, and demanded they go to his favorite shop. Shade agreed, although he wondered if he had enough to pay for it. The kid dragged him off to on of the shops on the far end of the district. They were seated at one of the more private booths and Shade took the chance to take off his stuffy helmet. The kid looked at him, apparently amazed by his looks. 

"Adiik." Shade stated firmly. 

The kid snapped out of it. "Sorry... Its just that I've never seen someone like you before." The kid still sounded amazed. 

"What do you mean?" 

"How'd you get hair like that? It's so cool!" The boy spouted. 

Shade couldn't help but chuckle. "Dunno, been like that all my life." He paused a moment, "What's your name kid?"

"Doz. Doz Bren. What about you mister? You must have one." The kid looked to be around nine or so, but spoke more like an adult. 

Shade wondered briefly what to say, then decided on something close to the truth. "My vode call me Shade." 

"Yeah, but what's your real name?"

Shade had to laugh at this. "Don't have a real name. Didn't even have one until I found my vode. They're the ones who gave it to me." Doz looked intrigued. He wondered where the boy came from. They didn't say anything for a few minutes, except to place their order, which came surprisingly quick. 

"You know, I've always wanted to have an aliit. But I've been alone my whole life. I'm sorry if I tricked you, but it was nice to be next to someone who didn't think of me as a pest." Shade couldn't help but give the boy a small smile, remembering how many of his brothers had felt similarly during their training. The Kaminoans weren't exactly the friendliest people.

"That's alright k... Doz. I happen to know that feeling well myself." Said child lit up, looking pleased with himself. They ate in silence for a few minutes.

Then the commotion began. He told Doz to hide under the table as he reached for his blaster. This was the only time that Shade was grateful for his cover being a city guard. He came up to the corner, peaking around to see what it was. Three armed men had burst in, threatening the shop owner, and then there was Syntrian. Shade mentally facepalmed, making a note to bring this up to her later. But for now, he had to play the part of the guard, and her, the hired muscle. 

"Halt!" Shade shouted from his cover. "Put your weapons down and no one gets hurt."

"Ha! As if!" Syntrain yelled back. "One lone guard can't do much. Not against the four of us." She pointed a blaster pistol at him, the look in her eyes begging him to play along. 

"Then I guess I'll just have to bring you in." He stated, then he turned to the various customers. "Everyone get out!" The various civilians rushed out, all but Doz, who was still behind him. Shade took a deep breath, making sure his blaster was on stun. He fired, hitting the first man. He fell to the floor with a thud, and a second followed. But by then, the remaining two were charging him. Shade managed to fend off Syntrian long enough to thrown her away, and went to focus on the other man. 

He knocked the man out after a few punches to the face, and only had his commander left. He took a few deep breaths, and was surprised when he managed to catch her. Then she managed to kick his knee out. And he fell to the ground. Shade knew she caught sight of Doz, and he could hear the others waking up. 

Doz screamed as she grabbed him. "Shade! Help me!" She pointed her blaster to his head.

"Move, and he dies." Shade narrowed his eyes, uncertain how far she would go in this role. Then again, as confident as she seemed, she would come back every night without fail and have some form of panic attack. He knew the price she was paying for this role. 

"Come on boys. He won't do anything while we have his charge." 

"Shade!" Doz yelled, being dragged out. 

Shade made sure to catch the boy's eyes. "Don't worry Doz. I'll save you." Shade got to his feet as they left the building, watching as Syntrian threw the boy over her shoulder. Shade couldn't stop the heavy sigh that escaped. He felt like he failed that boy. And yet, despite that, Shade couldn't help but feel like Syntrian had led those men here on purpose.


	21. Chapter 21

I sighed, having wondered if this was the right course. I felt bad about having kidnapped this boy, even more so since he seemed to be attached to Shade, and yet, I had to keep up appearances. Right? I had finished my mission last night quickly, and was rewarded with that last pieces of information I needed. I hoped that Shade would forgive me taking his little ward. 

"Hey! Lady!" The kids voice pierced the silence, hurting my ears. 

"What is it kid?" I stated coolly. 

"I hope you know that Shades gunna come for me. He'll kick your sheb into next week."

I couldn't help but laugh at him. "You think this Shade of yours could beat me?"

"He will! My ori'vod will free me?" 

"He will, will he?" I stated softly, the morning sun beginning to rise. "He's welcome to do so. I however, am needed elsewhere." The kid was finally silent. I walked a few steps away, the wind gently blowing my hair from my face.

"Excuse me... Miss." He said softly. "You don't seem like a bad guy. Why are you helping them?"

I smiled at the boy as I started walking away. "I have something I have to do. Once I'm done with it, I'll be out of here." I walked away, leaving the boy tried to the post as he was. Once I was far enough away, I commed my captain.

"Shade, come in." 

A moment of silence. "Oh, so now you answer." He said bitterly. "Was abducting Doz all it was cracked up to be?"

"Doz is fine, in fact, you can come find him at these coordinates. I'm going to make my move. Feel free to join me when your done." I cut off the call, taking a moment to focus myself. I rushed off, the hunt beginning. 

Shade was rushing to find his friend. Friend... that was a strange word for Shade. He hadn't really used it before. But he still rushed forward. But Shade was happy that he could help the kid. He was also relieved that he was finally able to use his own kriffing armor again, and on his belt was the jedi's lightsaber. He knew it felt wrong to have it on him, but he didn't particularly want to leave it behind. 

It didn't take Shade long to find the boy, and when he did, Doz looked scared. It was obvious he didn't know who Shade was. Not that that surprised him. 

"Doz! You alright?" 

The boy looked stunned. "Wh-who are you? How do you know my name?" He seemed sacred. 

"Doz, it's me." Shade stated, removing his helmet, smiling. 

"Sh-shade? What's going on? Where's your armor?" He asked. 

Shade answered the boy as he set about untying him. "This is my armor, Doz. I was never a guard. Sorry I lied to you." 

The boy stood there a moment then beam brightly. "That's alright. I think this set looks much cooler!" Shade led the boy away, hoping he got to his commander before she got herself in trouble. As he ran, pulling the boy along with him, he brought a comm from his belt. It was one that the Duchess had given him to stay in touch. It was also encrypted so that no one could hack into it and listen. Shade made sure to fill her in on what was about to happen so that she could have her guards prepared. He then put the comm away.

It didn't take him long to come across the first of the unconscious bodies laying out in the open. He reached it, noting that Syntrian had made sure to leave a note of sorts. It had one word on it. Terrorist. Shade chuckled. As much as he worried about his commander, at least he knew that she could get things done efficiently if she needed to. A guard reached him a minute later, to which Shade passed Doz off, giving a quick explanation before rushing off. 

Shade simply had to follow the trail of bodies that were lying about in the streets. He was both impressed and scared at her efficiency. Soon enough, he came to the warehouse they had begun at. He could hear fighting inside, and it sounded like Syntrian was fighting off multiple people at once. He went to help, but found the door to be jammed. He sighed, of course things wouldn't be simple. 

Shade took a quick inventory of what he had on him, noting that he didn't really have anything that could help him. He thought about trying to brute force the door open, but he quickly discarded that notion. Then his thoughts turned to the lightsaber at his belt. He really shouldn't, right? But if there's no one around? He fought with himself for a few minutes, eventually deciding to do it. 

He grabbed the metal pole, uncertain of how to turn it on. He examined it and decided that one of the switches would probably work. Shade made sure to keep it pointed away from his face, and hit the first one. He wasn't sure it it was on or not so he swung it at the door. It hissed. Shade smiled, his plan having worked. 

He began cutting a hole through the door, aware of how this must look to anyone looking on. Shade was vaguely aware of the footsteps approaching as he was finishing cutting. 

"Sir!" Someone stated. "The Duchess sent us to assist you." Shade turned to the guardsmen. 

"Alright. I want you to follow me. My commander is inside, working on subduing the remainder of the group working against you." He finished cutting through, kicking the now seperated metal in. Shade made sure he turned the weapon off before placing it back on his belt. He had to admit that it had its uses, but he would rather stick to his blasters.

He rushed in with the guards right as the last one fell. Shade watched as his commander, out of breath. She swayed slightly, and it looked like one of her opponents had managed to split her bottom lip. It took her a moment to see him, to which she took a few steps. Then she passed out. Shade was surprised that he managed to catch her before she hit the ground. He couldn't help but noticed how she was covered in what he assumed to be other peoples blood. He ordered the guards to collect the various unconscious bodies.

"How do you always end up like this at the end of a mission?" Shade spoke wistfully, the Mando'a apparently catching the guards by surprise. 

It was late in the day by the time Syntrian woke up again, and dinner was about to be served. The Duchess had her doctors come to the palace to treat the few wounds the Jedi had, but were gone within the hour. Shade was glad to see his commander up and about, and it seemed like she was happy to be heading home soon. Over the meal, the Duchess mentioned that she had a reward for Syntrain, and that she would have it brought to their room after they finished here. She also graced them with a story from their history. She spoke about a formidable warrior who had appeared out of nowhere one day, knowing little of themself other than their name, Syntrian. About how this warrior quickly became one of the deadliest on the battlefield, earning herself a place as one of the people, quite the feat considering they were at war with the jedi at the time. 

Syntrian seemed to be surprised at this, having not known that was the reason she was treated with such respect despite being an outsider. She was also surprised that the Duchess would gift her something, noting that it wasn't expected of the Duchess to do such a thing. And yet, said ruler insisted that she take it. Shade watched in amusement as the jedi ended up giving in. It wasn't until they got back to their room when they were greeted by the armorsmith. He had a box in his hand and seemed excited enough to show off his creation. 

He pulled it out, explaining how it had been awhile since he really had a challenge like this. The smith then went on to explain how he had been able to weave the beskar to be more fabric like, and although it would hurt its protective aspects, it would make it more flexible and a bit lighter. 

Syntrian grinned as she looked it over, it looked like a normal jedi robe but it didn't have a hood, instead just having a high collar. Shade was relieved she liked it, as was even more glad when she tried it on. He thought it suited her, better than the jedi robes ever did.


	22. Chapter 22

We arrived back in decent time, and were able to meet up with then before they set off towards their next mission. I was glad to be back. It wasn't the same, being alone on a planet, and I always felt more comfortable around my men. I could feel that Shade was glad to be back as well. Although, I got the feeling that explaining my hand to Obi-wan would result in something less than happy. I wouldn't admit it, but I was anxious about how he would react to my wardrobe changes. 

We boarded, and we could here the ship jumping to hyperspace. Always somewhere to be, huh? Shade turned the ship off and we made our way out, being greeted by Obi-wan and Cody. I smiled warmly at them, and noticed Obi-wan whisper to his commander. 

"Welcome back you two, I do hope you did a good job." Obi-wan stated. I could feel him start to use the force to look me over as we began to walk. 

I was almost childishly excited when I responded. "Yeah, the Duchess was pleased enough that she replaced my cloak." At their surprise, I realized I was still speaking Mando'a. I had to laugh a bit. Apparently I had gotten used to speaking it while I was gone. 

"Is this beskar?" Cody asked, getting a glimpse of my gloves. 

"Yup! And from what I understand, they managed to weave it into the fabric of my cloak as well."

I heard Obi-wan sigh, "Was this before or after you managed to lose half your hand?" He sounded disappointed. I couldn't help but flinch at the tone. 

"About that..." I trailed off, burning under his expectant gaze. "Well you see... There was this bomb, and it was in a park.... And well..."

"She tried to disarm a bomb and nearly got herself killed." Shade stated, not having any sympathy. Both Cody and Obi-wan sounded defeated. 

"We'll continue this later. in the meantime, I believe your men are eager to see you." Kenobi stated. I got the feeling they were hiding something. I nodded, beginning to walk off for a moment before I turned back to my captain.

"Coming Shade? I'm sure the men want to see you as well."

He hesitated. "I would like to discuss something with General Kenobi first. I'll catch up." His statement set my nerves on edge but I allowed it. I went to go find my men, Cody following behind. 

I stood there dumbfounded. Out of the eight other men I had, there were only four of them on board. And Cody had apparently decided to send the rest for ARC training, saying they would be back in a few weeks. As for the ones currently here? They had already returned. I could hear them whispering about me, but at the moment I couldn't really bring myself to care. 

"So.... let me get this straight. I leave for a month, and you decided that every one of my men would qualify for ARC training?"

Cody seemed relaxed. "Not precisely. To be fair, Rex and I shared your men, and since Rex is a lot better and seeing those things, he pointed it out. I only approved it." 

"That doesn't change anything, Cody." I stated, more stunned than mad.

"Sir!" It was Vos. "With all due respect, I do believe that both Rex and Cody knew what they were doing."

I shook my head, "I'm not mad Vos. If anything, I'm more surprised. I certainly wasn't expecting it, and I doubt that Shade will be expecting to have a team of ARCs under his command." Cody left, leaving me with the four ARC troopers. 

" _Usmraor cuyir a bakamte alorir. Ni cuyir warye kaysh malyasa'yr cuyir datihaye. _" Joha stated.__

____

"I'm not questioning his ability to lead, Joha. I just think he's in for a bit of a surprise." I definitely caught them off guard. 

____

"A surprise? Like what?" Said man stated, walking in the room. 

____

"Like the fact that apparently Cody decided that all our boys were capable to be ARCs."

____

"Did he now? Well then." Shade began, "I had a feeling that a couple of them had the ability, but I didn't think all my boys would." I could hear the grin on his face, and I bet the others could too. 

____

"I suppose that when the other return, we'll have to celebrate. I'm almost certain that no one else has nearly as many ARCs under them." The men seemed to beam at that, as if they were only now coming to terms with their promotions. Shade came further in, the door to their barracks closing. 

____

"You know, I overheard Cody talking with General Kenobi the other day. Said something about using us as a specialized strike team or something along those lines." Vos stated. 

____

"I sure hope that whatever missions we end up on don't get us all killed." Jinx stated, fully coming into view. I was surprised to see he had a new scar running down the side of his face. 

____

Junkpile spoke up next. "Ah, don't worry so much. They're back now so were safe. Besides I think that Commander Kirimoto will be the one to take most of the damage from now on, and I bet I'll get to help ya fix her up." I had to chuckle at this, as did most of the men. It was a surprise to not see him with something in his hands, yet he at least seemed focused on now. 

____

"So," Shade started again after a moment. "What happened after we left?"

____

Vos answered. "Well sir, I suppose the first thing you should know is that we lost Sixty Six. About a week after you left, Cody took us with him, our gunship was shot down. We were all beaten up pretty badly, but Sixty Six died before we could get to him. Jinx blamed himself pretty hard for not being able to save him. Since then, he's been doing things differently, more irritatedly. After that, Cody sent the four of us off to Kamino. Said we'd make good ARC troopers. At some point, I guess he did the same for the others." I nodded, saddened by the loss, but I knew that I had to move on. It sucks that that's the part I'm bad at. 

____

They continued to talk for a few minutes, before I felt something brush my hand. I looked down to see Junkpile examining my glove, only to realise that something was off. He seemed to get excited when he realised what it was. 

____

"Hey Jinx!" The man stated. "Check this out! The Commander got herself in some trouble."

____

"What could you possibly mean Junk?" Jinx stated. I let the clone do as he wished for the moment, knowing they would only find out sooner or later. My glove was pulled off, and I could feel the tension growing in the room. I think they were waiting to see what Jinx was going to do. 

____

"Kriffing hell... Why does everyone always get into so much trouble when I'm not around?" The medic complained. I found myself relieved that he wasn't bothering to scold me. 

____

____

Cody had found himself once more with his general. He wasn't too sure why the General had requested he meet with him. He would have rather stayed and watched the scene unfold. Yet Cody wouldn't question his general, not yet anyway. 

____

"Cody." Kenobi greeted. "I wanted to talk about the next mission with you. Apparently we're going for another siege."

____

"But?" The commander asked. 

____

Kenobi smirked. "But they think the separatists have a new weapon they want to test. The council fears that they may try to use it to eliminate Syntrian and I."

____

"Sir, with all due respect. If Syntrian can hide from tech, then why..."

____

Kenobi sighed. "Although she can't be scanned, if she gets hit with something it will still hurt her." He corrected his commander, watching as Cody finally understood. 

____

"Sir, I don't see why we're having this conversation right now."

____

"Cody," The jedi sounded quiet, almost remorseful. "If somehow they manage to get me, but not her, I need to know she won't be forced on another jedi who doesn't like her. To do that, you'll have to give her the confidence she needs to convince the council that she's ready for the trials."

____

"Sir, on the off chance that you do die, what makes you think I'll be able to help?"

____

"If you and Shade were to go see her, I believe she might just believe the two of you enough to do this." Cody couldn't help but notice how tired the jedi seemed. It was more so than usual.

____

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations-
> 
> 1\. Shade is a capable leader. I'm sure he'll be fine.


	23. Chapter 23

I sighed, having been dragged to yet another mission briefing. I had heard that this was going to be a rather large attack, wherever we were going, and I was mildly surprised to hear that Skywalker was going to be joining us. Oh well, I suppose it can't hurt. I didn't pay too much attention, considering the majority of the planning would wait until Skywalker was here, but if I understood correctly, we were all trying to capture the same base? I found this odd, normally, I would be sent in with a small escort. Whatever this base was, it certainly wasn't normal. 

I decided to check in with Shade to see if he knew why we were all attacking the same thing. As I walked through the ship, I could hear that Skywalker had arrived and was talking to someone. Rex perhaps? I drew nearer, beginning to hear some of their conversation. They were talking a bit about how it would be nice to see Kenobi and the 212th again, then they mentioned me. Rex mentioned that he wondered how I was doing, as he thought I had a lot of potential. I smiled, walking off before they saw me.

I found Shade ten minutes later in the mess, along with the rest of my squad. Apparently they were getting along pretty well with a couple of Cody's men. I also noted a few of Rex's, although I hadn't known that he even had men aboard. 

"Ahh, Commander, there you are!" Shade stated, falling back into the oh so familiar formalities. I hoped simply that he would remove the title once we were out on the field again. "These are a couple of the men that serve closely with Rex and Cody."

"I'm Waxer, this is Boil." One of Cody's men stated, motioning to his _vod _.__

____

"Fives."

____

"Echo." The blue striped men stated. These two seemed to be closer than most others. Batchmates perhaps? I let myself reach out with the force, getting a feel for each of the men. Waxer and Boil felt mischievous. I got the feeling from Echo that he prefered to read by himself, and Fives felt like he was starting to take after Rex. 

____

"It's good to meet you all." I smiled. They shuffled nervously around me. Why are they uneasy? 

____

"Sir, was there something you needed?" Vos stated, trying to lighten the mood. 

____

I shot him the smallest of smiles before responding. "I just wanted Shade's opinion on something." I spoke with the captain for a few minutes before Cody came in. The commander stated that it was time for the mission briefing, and that Shade and I were needed. I sent a warm smile back to the men as we left, hoping they would be less on edge around me. 

____

____

We arrived around the holoprojector after a few minutes. Skywalker was looking impatient while master Obi-wan was apparently amused by his antics. Cody went to stand beside Rex, so Shade and I were left on the side closest the door. 

____

"Good. Now that everyone's here we can begin." Kenobi stated. "Our main target is this factory here." He pointed to a spot on the map. 

____

"A weapons factory? Out here?" Obi-wan's only response to the question was a subtle nod. 

____

"We'll split into two as we head for the landing cite. Syntrian, you'll be with me." I felt myself relax, having not even noticed I was tensing up. "Unfortunately, we don't have much on this particular factory. That's where you come in. Syntrian will take her squad and scout out the factories defenses. Once she's back, we'll have a better idea of how to attack. The main problem will be a new mystery weapon we've been hearing rumors about."

____

"That's not a very solid plan." Skywalker argued. 

____

"A plan can only be formed with information, which we are unfortunately lacking." Kenobi stated. "It is however, a problem we should be easily able to fix."

____

Skywalker was growing annoyed. "Why don't we just scout it out from the gunships, it would save time."

____

Obi-wan sighed, "I already told you that the factory was well hidden. We just barely found it at all, and there's almost no way to see it from the sky." I could tell that Skywalker wanted to argue more, but he held his tongue. 

____

Shade nudged me. "Do they always fight like this?" He whispered. 

____

"Hell if I know. I've only been with them a bit longer than you." I stated amused. The two of them glared at each other for a few moments yet. I think I heard Rex or Cody chuckle. 

____

They broke apart, and one of them decided we were going to disembark as soon as we arrived at Ubeh. Shade and I left to go speak to the rest of our men. 

____

____

We met in the hanger bay an hour later. I had most of my squad trailing behind me, but Shade was off speaking to Rex and Cody. Apparently whatever they were talking about was amusing to the elder clones. I waved at them, coming up to join the party a minute later. 

____

"Sir, is it true that you managed to single handedly take out two dozen men." Cody sounded amazed. 

____

Rex chimed in, "Of course it's true Codes. No one would think someone so unassuming would be able to kick their shebs into next week." I couldn't help but beam a little when I caught the hint of pride shining in his eyes. 

____

"Hey now, if you keep on like this you may just steal away my _jetii _. And unlike you boys, I won't be able to find another one." Shade joked.__

______ _ _

"I doubt it." Cody began. "We all know that troopers start to take the traits of their _jetii _, and we all know that everyone wants the chance to serve with one that actually gives a damn about us. I think you'll be fine."__

________ _ _ _ _

"Kote! You have your own caring General. Stay away from mine." Shade retorted. Rex and Cody just started snickering. 

________ _ _ _ _

"If you boys are done fighting over my Padawan, I do believe we have a factory to capture." Obi-wan stated, coming up behind me. He put his hand on my shoulder, trying to reassure me that I would be alright. Then I started to get a bad feeling. Something was going to go wrong, I could feel it. 

________ _ _ _ _

We each went to our own gunships, and I felt a sense of dread over take me. I tried to take a few deep breaths, but failed at calming myself down. I felt like everyone could tell, but in reality it was probably only master Kenobi. I don't know which was worse. I felt someone slip something into my hand. I came out of it a little at the confusion. It was one of the small sweet things we got from Mandalore. I turned my head, looking over to Shade. He had a reassuring smile on his face. I popped the sweet thing into my mouth. I suppose his distraction worked. 

________ _ _ _ _

________ _ _ _ _

We landed without incident, and I could tell that the hard part was about to begin. This planet was heavily forested, and other than the landing platform for offloading the factories 'product', there wasn't really any open spaces. Now that I got a good look at the planet, I was surprised that we were even able to find a place to land. Though, it was interesting to look at, I couldn't fathom why there was a factory here, let alone one set on building more battle droids. 

________ _ _ _ _

Obi-wan put his hand on my shoulder. "I want you to gather your squad and head out as soon as possible. The less time they have to prepare the better." I nodded, motioning to Shade to gather the men. We were off within ten minutes, although they didn't really want to head out this quickly. 

________ _ _ _ _

The trip to the weapons factory, although relatively short, was difficult to say the least. The thick forest coupled with the underbrush made it a slow journey. Jinx kept warning us not to get hurt, but snarkily stated that he would be able to fix us up anyway. He got a couple chuckles and a couple groans. Although I was wondering how a medic becomes an ARC.

________ _ _ _ _

"Hey, Jinx?" 

________ _ _ _ _

He sounded slightly less annoyed. "Yeah?"

________ _ _ _ _

"As far as I'm aware, you're the only medic that's ever been made an ARC. How'd you manage it?" If I could see his face, he would be smiling warmly. 

________ _ _ _ _

"Well, it's quiet the story...."

________ _ _ _ _


	24. Chapter 24

A bright light streaked across the sky as we finally reached the factory. It went in the direction of the camp they probably had finished setting up by now. It had taken us several hours more than we had thought, and Kenobi had contacted us three times for a status report. I get a bit worried at the sight of that streak, but I knew we had to get some data before we went back. After all, we would probably only get one shot at this.

I had my men spread out so that we could get a better view of the situation. Yet, as soon as the others were out of range, Shade approached me. 

"Hey, kid." He began, grabbing my attention. "You sure you're gunna be alright? You've seemed off since the strategy meeting." He had removed his helmet, and let his concern flood his features. And yet, I wasn't really too sure how to respond. 

"I think so." I finally went with, "But the force it trying to tell me something, and I keep getting the feeling that something's going to happen."

He didn't seem convinced. "Something always happens when you're involved. But if it's got you freaked out, then it must be bad." He put his helmet back on. "Come on, we have a factory to survey. Whatever happens, I'm sure me and the boys'll be there to help you." I nodded, heading to the edge of the tree line. I saw multiple guards, and many more droids. Then I caught sight of the building itself. It was massive. I was surprised they even managed to keep it hidden. 

"Well. This certainly complicates things." I mumbled. I heard Shade chuckle from beside me. Then his comm went off. I could hear bits of what was said. Then he turned to me. 

"It seems that we're needed back. Apparently something happened with that streak we saw a while ago. Cody's doing his best to take charge, and Rex is helping, but he says it's a mess." Curious. What wasn't he telling me?

"Alright. Let's have the boys stay out a bit longer, get as much as they can. We'll head back and see what all the commotion is." Shade nodded, reaching out to speak with the others. I could hear them groaning, which made me giggle. Shade told them to be back by tomorrow morning, then we left, making better time than the trek out here. 

Upon arriving, Shade and I were rushed to the command center they had set up. Which is where we found the problem. It was amusing, yet I was dumbfounded. I felt something similar coming from Shade. 

"Wh... How?" Shade asked first. 

"We're not sure. What we know, it there was that streak that came at us, but it seemed to be targeting the Jedi. It hit, and those of us who were close by were knocked back. After we recovered, this is what we found." I stared down at them, noting how both Skywalker and Kenobi seemed to be around four. I noticed that Cody had taken their lightsabers, either for safekeeping or, more likely, so Skywalker wouldn't kill himself messing with them. 

" _Tahla'ada. _" I cursed, realising that this put me in charge now. I got a curious look from Rex, while Cody was trying to figure out a way to help his General. Shade took a moment to take a report from Vos, while I stood frozen in place. I was in command now. In command of so many. What if I don't figure out the best plan? What if I get them all killed. Someone's talking. Talking. Voices. Nameless voices. The nameless dead. Ren? Will I get them all killed again?__

____

____

Shade had only walked a few feet off to take Vos' report. When he came back he certainly wasn't expecting to see his Commander in the middle of an anxiety attack. He was honestly surprised that neither Rex nor Cody seemed to notice. Shade wasn't entirely sure what caused her anxiety, let alone why it was so bad at the moment, but he knew that she would be embarrassed if the other started to catch on. 

____

So Shade did the only thing he could think of at the moment. He told them that he and commander Kirimoto needed a moment to discuss something and that they would be right back. He briefly caught a glance from Cody, as if he had just figured out what was going on. Shade ignored his _vod _for the moment, leading Syntrian over to one of the gunships, closing the door facing the camp. There would only be the occasional patrol passing them on the other side, but they had at least an hour before the next one.__

______ _ _

He wasn't sure what to do. The sweets had worked for the more minor ones, but he had never seen her this bad before. He would have asked Kenobi, if not for the fact that the jedi was currently four. Did that have something to do with it? Shade started to piece things together as he took off his helmet. He knew that she wasn't confident in herself when it came to commanding the men or making important decisions. He had learned that much on Mandalore. From snooping in her file, he could guess that some of that came from that mission on Shestunt.

______ _ _

He almost missed when Syntrain mumbled a single word. "Ren..." Ren? Did she mean Renegade? The man she had as a captain before him? If Shade remembered correctly, didn't he read something about his Commander watching the respectable Captain die? It was then he realised. She wasn't afraid of getting herself killed, but she was afraid of leading her troops to their deaths. He could only imagine how much worse it must be now that she has to command Rex and Cody's troops as well. 

______ _ _

He knew that he had to get her out of this state. He just wasn't sure how. He cursed, if only Jinx was here. The medic might just have an idea of how to help. He shook that thought away, deciding to see if he could get her to focus on literally anything else. 

______ _ _

"Commander?" He started, feeling kinda silly. That single word seemed to make it worse. He flinched at that, cursing himself. 

______ _ _

He took a deep breath trying again. "Syntrian?" He coaxed, just now seeing that she was trembling ever so slightly. He continued his efforts, as he thought. No General could function like this, and he felt like it was wrong for a jedi to do so. Shade promised himself then and there, he would get to the bottom of this, as well as bring his commander up with him. He had far too much respect for her to leave her down in such a state. 

______ _ _

"Sh-shade?" A whisper asked. He came from his thoughts, glad that she was finally coming out of it. 

______ _ _

"I'm here." He whispered back. 

______ _ _

Her reply was even softer. " _Vor entye. _"__

________ _ _ _ _

________ _ _ _ _

Cody couldn't help but wonder where the two had gone to. Cody recognised the signs of a panic attack when Shade had told them they needed a moment, but he hadn't expected them to be gone so long. Cody couldn't help but remember the last time it had happened to him. It was a month after he had been taken in by Kenobi. Cody didn't remember what brought it on, but he did remember his friends face when the jedi had found him alone in his room that night. Kenobi had been concerned, and had declared there and then that he would make sure Cody never felt like that again. So far, the jedi was living up to his word. Somehow. He wondered if Kenobi would be willing to do something similar for his padawan, although Cody couldn't see why he wouldn't.

________ _ _ _ _

Cody had been walking around the camp with Rex for a while now. They had dropped Kenobi and Skywalker on a couple of their men. Waxer, Boil, Echo, and Fives to be precise. The expressions on their faces were enough to make it worthwhile. They would be waiting till Syntrian's men got back from scouting before they would form their plan, but that didn't give them long. Cody hoped to get the Generals back soon, but he also thought that maybe, if they could keep her from panicking, that this experience would be a good one for their Commander. He smiled as he followed Rex into one of the tents. 

________ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations-
> 
> 1\. Thank you (lit. *I accept a debt*)


	25. Chapter 25

"Has anyone seen the Captain?" Vos asked upon returning from scouting. Cody grinned and lead them to where he had found them merely an hour ago. And so, the four ARCs followed the Commander only to find their Captain and Jedi asleep, leaning on each other in the corner of one of the gunships. Joha chuckled as he made sure to grab a few pictures of the scene. Cody left them to their own devices, having to go check on the other jedi. He figured that they would be filled in soon enough. 

And so, Shade woke that day to the snickers of his men as they watched them sleep. He was careful not to wake the sleeping Jedi beside him as he got up, ready to chew out his men, but he didn't. Instead he told them it was a strange night and that they should go find Cody or Rex and wait with them. This caused him to get teased more. Shade took it though. After what Syntrian had told him last night, a little bit of teasing was worth it if it meant saving his commander some grief. 

Syntrian was up not that much later, and the very first thing she did was apologise. She felt bad, having not wanted to dump all of that on her captain. She even secretly thought that he was annoyed with her. This surprised Shade. After all, he had thought they had a pretty understanding relationship. She kept rambling on and on, and Shade was growing tired of hearing her doubt herself. So he simply told her how just about every on of his _vod _ends up with the same guilt she has. She seemed surprised, and asked him to explain. Only for Shade to tell her that if she were to talk to most anyone on a battlefield, she would find they too have survivor's guilt. Shade finished by telling her that she could always talk with him if she needed. She smiled uncertainty at him, but allowed him this one small victory.__

____

They went to find some grub, deciding they would meet with Rex and Cody afterwards to figure out their plan. They were able to grab something pretty quickly, and as they started to eat, a multitude of the other clones began to trickle in. As did the other two Jedi. Who almost immediately ran into a couple shinys. Shade could help but be amused as he watched his commander lift them up using the force without so much as pausing in eating her food. 

____

"If you boys can't behave yourselves I'll stick you with the medics for the day. At trust me when I say you don't make them angry." They stopped squirming long enough for Helix to show up. Shade almost felt bad for the man. Almost. 

____

"Helix. I believe it will be your turn to watch them today. Please tell Kix and Jinx that they'll have to help you." A few chuckles were heard from around the jedi. The medic nodded, though he was certainly going to be in a bad mood later on. He all but dragged the two boys along as he went to find the others who had been sentenced to share his fate. 

____

"Sir, aren't you worried what will happen when they figure out you put them with the medics anyway."

____

"No." The padawan sighed, "I think they'll behave themselves long enough for me to try to figure a way through this mess." Shade couldn't help but notice how she seemed to be fighting with herself. He definitely didn't envy her, but he certainly hoped she would figure this out. 

____

"Shade!" Cody called, entering the now crowded area. He came to sit across from them. "I hear Commander Syntrian gave the medics babysitting duty today."

____

Shade felt slightly uncomfortable. "She's not exactly a morning person, and I think she just kinda pushed them off on the first person she saw." 

____

"Cody?" Syntrian began, "Have my men reported in on what they found?" Cody nodded. "Alright, lets meet up in about half an hour. We'll figure out our plan from there." 

____

____

We were studying the holomap we had managed to make of the factory. According to Vos, this was everything they had managed to find. The entire thing only had a few entrances, including the large landing platform. There was one that lead out on the far side, and the only other one seemed to be some sort of service entrance. I kept my gaze on the map, though I got the feeling that they were starting to grow impatient; this only served to bring out my nerves. I knew it wouldn't be long until that particular problem became visible.

____

"Sir." Cody stated, "Are you alright? You haven't said anything for nearly ten minutes."

____

I hadn't thought it was that long. "Sorry Cody, it's just that I've never actually done this before." Shade's hand fell to my shoulder, attempting to comfort me. Rex and Cody looked completely dumbfounded. 

____

"Y-you've never?" Rex sputtered. "We let Tano do this same thing a week ago." I knew he meant well, but his comment cut deep. Cody elbowed him harshly to the side. I managed a few sounds that resembled a laugh, and found that I was more able to think now. 

____

"Alright..." I mumbled to myself. "So we have two battalions, and my stealth team..." I thought back to previous missions. An idea popped into my head, though the uncertainty kept me from speaking right away. 

____

"It looks like she's got something." Rex smirked. 

____

I took a few deep breaths, trying to steady myself. "Cody. You and Rex will lead your troops straight up to the front door. If we keep them hidden in the dense forest until we reach it, then they may think that our troops are endless." I didn't like how this plan made my anxieties act up. "Shade, while we're keeping the droids occupied, you'll take the squad in through this service door. From there, you should be able to find the main reactor and rig it to blow. Once you've escaped, we'll call a retreat, then blow the factory." It was silent for a few moments as they thought it over. 

____

"Not bad." Cody stated. "But if you're with us, how to you think Shade's gonna get past the guards?" I had to think about that for a moment, having forgotten, like always, that most people can't just hide themselves like I can. 

____

"If they wait to go in until the main attacks starts, it should draw most of them away to defend against us. They should be able to subdue whatever guards happen to remain." I hadn't noticed that I had started to shake ever so slightly, not until Shade gave my shoulder a little squeeze. 

____

Rex had that same proud smile on his face. "Good job kid. It's not bad for the first plan you've put together." I managed a small smile. "One thing though. What are we going to do with them?" He inquired, asking about the generals. 

____

Shade responded. "Well, if they haven't driven the medics completely crazy yet, we could have them help out there."

____

Cody was next. "You must be damn optimistic if you think Kix hasn't killed them yet."

____

"They're probably safe from Kix. If anything Jinx probably sedated them after they drove him crazy." There was a good moment of laughter. 

____

"Well, I guess we should find out if the medics have killed them yet. Then we can decided what to do with them." I joked. It got me a few smiles from those around me. 

____

____

Shade and I were amazed at the scene in front of us. Not only were Skywalker and Kenobi not hurt, but Jinx, Helix, and Kix seemed to have gotten them to help out. I watched as Kenobi helped to repack the various things into the medkits, and Skywalker was taking the finished ones to a small transport. 

____

"Well, I guess that solves the problem of who keeps them during this battle." I mumbled. 

____

"Is it bad that I think they're enjoying this?"

____

"Who, The _vode _or the kids?"__

______ _ _

"Both?"

______ _ _


	26. Chapter 26

"Everyone ready?" I asked through the comm. I got a quick confirmation from Shade, as well as from Rex and Cody. Alright. Shade's in place. I've got Rex and Cody beside me. The rest of the men are hidden in the trees nearby. The medics set themselves up just inside the tree line, which is where they'll keep Skywalker and Kenobi. I swallowed hard, nerves getting to me. I closed my eyes, giving myself a moment to concentrate. A few deep breaths. A moment to center myself. I called my lightsaber to my hand. 

Igniting it, I commanded the attack, leading the charge as I leapt into the center of the first group of guards. I let the many sounds of approaching footsteps and blaster fire fall into the background. For now, focus on this fight. Get out alive and see how many we can save. Another droid down. Here comes the reinforcements. Something impacted my left shoulder, I glanced down, but my cloak had but a small mark after getting hit by a blaster. 

I deflected shot after shot. Cut down droid after droid. And yet I could hear each and every time one of my men got shot. Their cries of pain echoing through my head. I briefly got a flash of Ren. But I forced that away, that was for another time. I focused on defending my men, hoping to keep as many alive as possible. A small group had formed around me, and it looked like they were all Shinies. 

Someone got hit beside me. I glanced down to them, noting that while it knocked them down, the wound they received to the knee wasn't too bad. A medic was called for, and someone started rushing out. but the droids were advancing. So I did the only thing I could think of in that situation. I used the force to carry my lightsaber around, spinning it quickly while sending it off to chop up droids, then I grabbed the pistol at my belt and began shooting. Shade hadn't thought I would have a reason to need it, but I won that fight. 

A few of the men were surprised, Cody most of all. He had made his way over to me as the medic reached the downed soldier. 

"You know, I doubt General Kenobi would approve of this particular strategy." He stated, blasting a few more droids. 

I got a couple, then had to switch to close combat as a few broke through. "What, are you going to tell him?" The commander never answered. He was far too busy with the two B-1s that happened to have gotten into punching range. I was impressed at the ease with which he dispatched them. A few more shots, and my blaster was empty. I grabbed a refill from my belt, and had it recharged in the same motion I used for decapitating a droid with my foot. I got a few amazed whistles as I winced. I made a mental note to add some sort of armor plate to my boots. 

Then I was back to blasting down the droids, occasionally having to punch one as it grew too close. I was determined to make sure this group survived, no matter what. And I think they could feel that, as they managed to stay together well, and they were even starting to grow a bit bolder as the battle went on. They did a good job of not getting startled when my lightsaber would flash in front of them, keeping a stray blaster bolt from hitting them. 

My comm went off. "Sir, we've found the main reactor, setting the charges now."

"Alright Captain. Perhaps if you hurry there'll even be a few droids left." I joked, shooting another few droids, as my lightsaber whizzed by. I was starting to grow winded, keeping my saber going like this was more difficult than I had thought. 

Then the next wave began, this time, there were supers mixed in. The grey droids would be harder, but not impossible. I heard someone fall beside me, their blaster falling to the ground. I brought their extra ammo with me as I reloaded both blasters, now duel wielding. I could sense the group around me growing, whether that was from the fact that the droids were harder to kill, or the fact that they felt safer near me was uncertain. 

"Hey kid!" It was Rex now. "Where the hell did you learn that?" He sounded like he was in awe. 

I laughed, "Got bored on my trip to Mandalore. It's surprisingly easy to find someone to teach you there." I kept knocking the droids down one by one, my lightsaber whizzing pass every so often. I noticed that we were starting to get surrounded. I thought for but a moment, bringing my lightsaber in to circle the larger group. It was spinning about just as fast, and was circling just enough to keep a majority of the blaster bolts from finding a mark. 

Then I noted the smoke signal stated that Shade's squad had cleared the building. The retreat was called, and the men fell back into the woodland, keeping an eye on the rest of the droids. By a quick count, there were probably a few hundred left. I followed as the men rushed to the treeline.

As soon as everyone was safely behind the trees, I signaled Shade. A few tense seconds went by, and some of the droids decided to follow us. They were shot down as I recaptured my lightsaber. Three. I holstered my pistol. Two. I took stock of what I had left. Only two energy packs left. One. Everyone braced themselves. The blast went off, and the factory was destroyed. The heat from the flames was intense, and there were pieces of debris that would be raining down on us if the canopy was any thinner. The droids that were left outside were rushing about, panicked. It was amusing to watch them. 

"Rex. Take your boys and take out the remainder of the droids. Once things have calmed down here, Cody will go in with his men and make sure there's nothing left of the factory. For now, Cody and I will head back to camp with the Medics and wounded. We should get those who need more than basic first aid back up to the cruisers as fast as possible." The two took their orders, and started rounding up their men for each assignment. 

"Shade, meet back up with us by the time Cody and I get back to camp." I ordered. I took a few deep breaths as the mask of a commander started to slip off. I looked around, seeing all the _vode _who didn't make it. I considered one to be too many casualties. So I wasn't certain how I'm going to deal with all the men that died today. I sighed, walking a few feet away so I could have a moment to myself.__

____

I tucked myself partially behind a tree, knowing that I could be needed at any given moment. I could hear Rex's men starting the cleanup of the droids. The shiny squad I had saved seemed to be celebrating, and Cody was approaching me. I did what I could to bring the calm back to my face, and yet I don't think I was entirely successful. 

____

"I thought you'd like to know, most of our men made it out. The medics have about fifty wounded, but they're telling me that we've only lost around twenty men. To say they're relieved is an understatement." I'm almost certain he noticed the slight flinch when he mentioned the dead. So my leadership cost twenty lives. 

____

He sighed heavily. "Syntrian." He stated, taking off his helmet so he could look me in the eyes. "You were able to come up with a plan that not only destroyed a weapons factory that no doubt would have caused the deaths of thousands, but you also managed to do it with minimal casualties. On an attack this size, that's impressive. I'm not even certain if Kenobi would have had so few deaths." He paused pointing over to the Shiny squad. "You see those guys. Apparently they're still a full squad coming from Kamino. That in and of itself is rare, and I've never heard of any squad surviving their first battle completely intact. But you care enough about the men under your command that you made sure to keep them alive. If you doubt what you've accomplished today, go speak to some of them. I'm sure they'll be more than happy to tell you what they thought of this battle." Cody walked off, leaving me to my thoughts once again.

____


	27. Chapter 27

Shade and his boys had returned to camp not that long after their main force had, and the captain had to admit he was surprised. He could hear many of the _vod _talking about the battle, and how they were impressed by Commander Kirimoto. Hmpt. Shade shook his head, removing his helmet, his boys doing the same as they dispersed to do as they pleased. Then he caught part of a conversation some rookies were having.__

____

"... Just as we were surrounded, The commander lept into action, blasting the droids down before they could get us." Shade wished he hadn't made that bet with her now. He was down the last fifty credits he had. Even so, he went to speak with the rookies. 

____

"The Commander did?" He asked, directing it to the storyteller. 

____

"Yes sir!" He exclaimed. "She kept my entire squad alive, Breaker's too sir. I didn't even know a jedi could fight like that."

____

Shade was curious now. "Like what?" He claimed a free seat near the group, interested to hear how she managed to get these rookie squads to admire her so quickly. 

____

Another trooper answered. "She was fighting more like one of us sir. If it wasn't for the lightsaber flying around the battlefield, you wouldn't have thought she was a jedi. I hear she managed to kick the heads from multiple droids while blasting others." Shade was impressed, then it dawned on him that this was most definitely not the way any _jetii _fought. Then the captain began to piece a little bit more together.__

______ _ _

His _jetii _was absolute batha shit when it came to the more mindful parts of her duty, and yet she seemed to fight in a way that reminded Shade of the stories they had heard of the Mandalorians. His _jetii _wasn't a tactician or a peacekeeper as so many of the _jetiise _seemed to be. She was a warrior.______

_________ _ _ _ _ _

"Thank you trooper. Do you happen to know where she is?" The men around him shrugged, uncertain. "Hey kid. What's your name?"

_________ _ _ _ _ _

The man looked a bit sheepish. "I don't have one yet sir. But my designation is CT-8237" Shade got to his feet, nodding curtly to him; figuring he may as well find her before she started to overthink things again. He walked through the camp, letting his mind wander, noting that he kinda liked that rookie. He thought he might keep an eye on him, see how he does. Something had struck as familiar in the man, he just couldn't put his finger on it. 

_________ _ _ _ _ _

Then he heard it, the rough, heavy breathing he had gotten used to. His breath hitched in his throat when his eyes landed on the small figure mostly hidden by the large tree on the outskirts of the camp. Syntrian was panicking again. But what set her off this time. He understood that she didn't have the confidence to lead so many, so the one last night was to be expected. But this one?

_________ _ _ _ _ _

He could hear her mumbling to herself between gasping for air. "Th-they're dead.... I... I killed them. Just like then. It's just like... Like...." By this point he was beside her, and Shade was surprised. He had expected the attack. He hadn't been expecting his commander to be crying. Shade had to take a moment to figure out what to do. Every other time he just had to get her mind away from what was bothering her and reassure the jedi that everything was fine. But now? He hadn't had to dead with this. 

_________ _ _ _ _ _

So he awkwardly reached out his hand to grab hers, hoping it would comfort her. Then he was caught by surprised when she latched onto him, now crying into his chest. Shade knew that if any of his boys caught on to this, they would tease him mercilessly, and yet he couldn't bring himself to care. He let her do as she wanted, whispering kind words to her. He even awkwardly allowed himself to return the hug he was getting. Then he heard someone walk off from the other side of the tree. 

_________ _ _ _ _ _

_________ _ _ _ _ _

Jinx was starting to grow annoyed that he hadn't been able to find Kirimoto. He had wanted to check on her after the battle, Shade having told the medic a few things Jinx was glad to know. Jinx had heard of admiration some of the younger clones had for her as he was patching them up, and he couldn't say he was surprised. That seemed just like something she would do. 

_________ _ _ _ _ _

Jinx was concerned to say the least. From what he's learned about her, both form her file and from what Shade told him, he knew she had some form of anxiety disorder and possibly some PTSD. He considered seeing if she would be willing to be put on some meds for her anxiety, but knowing the jedi, he probably wouldn't be able to. 

_________ _ _ _ _ _

Jinx then caught sight of the Captain, off crouching behind a tree. It seemed to Jinx that by his alarmed expression that Shade had found Kirimoto, and that she wasn't exactly 'available' at the moment. He let himself eavesdrop on their conversation, standing on the other side of the tree. She was hyperventilating and he could hear soft, muffled sobs breaking in every so often. The medic decided to leave this to Shade, thinking that Kirimoto came all the way over here to limit who saw her like this. 

_________ _ _ _ _ _

_________ _ _ _ _ _

Cody had a million things that needed done. There were reports to be filled out, the official death count to send, troopers to check in with, and then there was the situation with Generals Kenobi and Skywalker. He didn't know how to help them, and he had a pretty good feeling that he wouldn't be able to ask Syntrian her thoughts at the moment. The medics had pawned the boys off on him once the battle was over, stating that they needed to concentrate. So now he was sitting in their command center with them running in circles around him. Honestly, he had expected something like this from Skywalker, but Cody had thought Kenobi would be a bit calmer. 

_________ _ _ _ _ _

" _Ne'waadas a gaan? _" Joha stated, an amused grin adorning his face.__

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Cody was only too grateful for the offer. "I would be glad for the help." The commander watched as his former lieutenant crouched down, looking the boys in the eyes. They stopped running, and seemed to pay attention to whatever he was saying. Then the two seemed to be excited, and Joha lead them off. It had always stunned the commander how good Joha seemed to be with any child. It was one of the reasons that, despite Syntrian not being a child, he let Shade take his lieutenant. 

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Then Cody grew annoyed again as the beeping signaling a transmission started. He wanted to smash his head against the console, but forced himself to save that for later. He may have to do most of the paperwork, and take most of the calls, but he had to make sure that the younger _vode _saw him as a role model.__

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He answered, surprised when he say the Jedi Council members standing in front of him. He scrambled to his feet instantly, surprising a few of the men around him. 

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"Commander. We must speak with General Kenobi, would you get him?" Windu stated his command as a question. 

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Cody swallowed hard. "I'm sorry sir, but I'm afraid that Generals Kenobi and Skywalker are currently unavailable." This caught their attention.

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"What has happened?" Cody thought he remembered this jedi to be Plo Koon. 

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"We're not entirely certain yet, however, while out scouting party was doing recon on the weapons factory, it seems that they were hit with the mystery weapon you were worried about." They waited for him to continue. "As it stands now, both Skywalker and Kenobi seem to be about four, but otherwise fine."

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"And what of padawan Kirimoto? Was she not hit as well?" Windu asked. If Cody hadn't known their feelings towards her, he would have missed the undertone of indifference. 

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"No sir. At the time, Commander Kirimoto and her squad were the ones doing the recon." He began, carefully crafting his sentences, "Once they returned, she took charge of the troops and managed to launch a rather successful attack on the factory, with less than a hundred casualties. Sir." He hadn't meant to say so much, but he could tell they were surprised, if not a bit skeptical. 

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"Was Kirimoto injured during you attack?" Windu sounded a bit annoyed. 

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"No sir. In fact, she didn't even get scratched, even when she was protecting some of the younger men." Cody knew that telling them how the commander fought would just get her in trouble, so he left that out.

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"Then it would seem that we would like to speak with Syntrian. Would you get her?" Koon seemed to at least be more civil than the others. He nodded, telling them he would call them back in a few minutes before having one of his men end it for now. 

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations-
> 
> 1\. Need a hand?


	28. Chapter 28

Rex had returned as I was talking with Jinx and a few others, apparently Cody had told him to find me since the council had called, and since Cody and his men had to go check out the remains of the factory, he had left with his men a few minutes after Rex's battalion had arrived. Shade stated that he wanted to go speak with some of the rookies, so it was just Rex and I addressing the council. 

"Ah, finally. Padawan Kirimoto. May I ask what took you so long?" Mace stated, grating on my nerves. I kept my eyes down, and bit the inside of my lip. I didn't want to break down again today, least of all in front of the council.

"Forgive my tardiness, masters." I began, softer than I should have. "But I was aiding the troops clearing out the remainder of the droids, I only just returned a few minutes ago."

"And yet, Commander Cody told us it would be just a few minutes. It's been an hour."

I flinched ever so slightly. "I had simply forgotten to mention to the Commander that I had gone to aid them."

"I assume that since he is not here at the moment that Commander Cody is busy?" Plo stated. I met him a few times, and he seemed to be nicer than some of the others. 

I still kept my gaze down, "Yes master. I sent Cody and his men to scour the ruins of the factory to double check that the weapon was in fact destroyed." I felt their gazes on me, scrutinizing every little thing I said or did. 

"A solid plan. Have they reported in yet?" Mace asked. I was taken aback by the praise. The only things I had heard from him were disappointment. 

"Not yet master, but we should be hearing from them soon." Then my comm went off. I couldn't help but feel like this was rather coincidental timing. 

"Yes Commander?"

"Sir!" Cody seems frantic. "I'm sorry sir but we found the weapon. I had a couple of my boys start to dismantle it, but they seemed to hit something that made it spark. It's been fired and it's heading for you."

" _Osi'kyr osi'kyr osi'kyr osi'kyr osi'kyr. Meg hwa Ni narir? Osi'kyr. _"1 I stated frantically. I got a few strange looks. Then I noticed the same white streak from before.__

____

"Padawan! What's going on?" Mace demanded. I ignored him, instead I commed Shade. 

____

"Shade I need you to listen. We're about to have a situation, that weapons been fired again. That means you Rex and Cody will have to make do. I want you and the boys to focus on figuring out how to reverse it. Use whatever you need." I turned to Rex, noting that it was almost here. I took a few deep breaths and braced myself for the moment it got here. Rex's steady gaze was the last thing I saw before being consumed by the blinding white light and getting thrown back a few feet. 

____

____

Rex was impressed. He hadn't thought the padawan had it in her to ignore the council like that and order her men. As soon as he could see again, he ordered a couple men to take Kirimoto to the medics. He also made sure to comm Shade and give him a brief update. Then he had the task of finishing this chat with the council. 

____

"Captain, care to explain what happened?" Windu stated. 

____

Rex couldn't help the little bit of wit that leaked into his reply. "Well, sir. It would seem that we're about to have another small jedi running about." He received a few dirty glances from the council, but he also noticed that general Koon seemed to enjoy his joke. 

____

Windu seemed defeated. "Just keep us informed Captain. And if you haven't solved this problem by the time you and your men are done there, have Kirimoto's men bring the three of them to Corisaunt, and we'll send Padawan Tano over to take control of the 501st and 212th until it's solved."

____

"Yes sir." Rex stated, ending the call. He relaxed a bit as the hologram flickered away, and he was able to turn to more pressing matters. Cody wouldn't be back for a while yet, so all he had was Shade. If Rex remembered correctly, didn't Cody say something about one of his men being good with kids? Was he even still alive?"

____

Rex commed Cody. "What can I do for ya Rex?" The commander answered. 

____

"Hey Codes. Didn't you mention something a while ago about one of your men..." 

____

Cody cut him off. "Rex, if your trying to ask about Joha, he's one of Shade's men now. I would go ask him where he is." Joha. Now that rang a few bells. He was pretty sure he met the man once, so that would make things easier. 

____

____

I woke up with a headache. The breeze told me I wasn't in the temple anymore, and there were a lot of people around me that felt weird. I didn't recognise them, yet they all felt familiar. How did I get here? I got up, finding myself surrounded by a bunch of men with the same face. I was surprised, and they seemed relieved? 

____

"Where am I?" I demanded. Even if they don't know who I am, most people respect the jedi enough to answer one. 

____

The one to my right answered, though he looked a bit different from the others. "Syntrian. This may be hard for you to understand, but currently, your on Ubeh. You, Kenobi and Skywalker were leading an attack here, but then you all got hit with a mystery weapon." That doesn't make sense. 

____

"Look, she doesn't believe you, I told you we should have let Joha handle this."

____

"Yeah, but Joha's busy with Skywalker and Kenobi." 

____

The one to my left sighed. "We can discuss this later. For now, could you guys leave. I'd like to see what she remembers." 

____

"Fine, but I'm not going far. Junk, I would go find Joha, he'll be a big help." Junk, as he was called, rushed off. Once we were alone, the last man spoke up. 

____

"Alright Syntrian, let's start from the beginning. Can you tell me how old you are and what the last thing you remember is?" He asked. 

____

I nodded. "The last thing I remember was speaking with master Obi-wan because he was about to leave on another mission with his padawan." I could see a bit of confusion. 

____

"And how old are you?"

____

I thought for a moment. "Seven? But who are you? And why do you all share the same face?"

____

He laughed. "Jinx. And we all have the same face because we're clones."

____

"But why are you all here? Are you soldiers or something?" 

____

He had a smile. "We were trained to serve as the army for the republic. Generals Kenobi and Skywalker each have their own battalions. You, Syntrian, you only command a small squad of eight."

____

"I do?"

____

"Yeah. In fact, Shade, Junk and I are your men."

____

"What about that Joha you mentioned?"

____

"He's yours too. The rest of your men should be returning from their ARC training on Kamino soon." I bet he could tell that I had a lot of questions. But Junk had returned with another man in tow. He had two other younglings with him, and only one of them was behaving. 

____

"Syntrian, this is Joha. Just... Try to stay with him." Jinx sounded tired. 

____

"OK. But Shade seemed like he would rather keep an eye on me." The three of them laughed at this. 

____

Jinx was the first one to stop. "Shade sticks to you so much that I think he's got a mega crush on you." I looked at him confused. What did he mean by crush? I could feel embarrassment coming from a short distance off. 

____

"I do not!" He shouted from where he stood. From what I saw, his face was red. 

____

"Yeah yeah Cap. Tell that to your face." Junk stated. I jumped off the bed and followed Joha, who was still trying to wrangle to boy in his arms. The one walking beside him seemed to be nicer. 

____

"Hello there!" He stated as we passed a small group. "I'm Obi-wan, you were Syntrian?" The boy asked, stumbling over my name. I nodded, a smile on my face. Then I noticed that one of the men nearby had a few sheets of flimsi and was drawing something with a piece of charcoal. I found it interesting so I went over to see what it was. I think Obi-wan followed me. 

____

He seemed to be drawing a bug of some sort that was in front of him. I found it cool. Then he noticed us. 

____

"Hey kid, you wanna see?" Obi-wan and I nodded happily, and he showed us the other drawings he had made. "Sometimes when I have free time, I'll sketch the animals I see around me. I find them fascinating, and I wish I had more time to study them, but this is about all I have the time for."

____

"You think they're cool too!" Obi-wan stated. 

____

"Would you draw other animals too?"

____

He thought for a moment. "Sure kid. You you bring me a bug or something I'll sketch it for you."

____

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations-
> 
> 1\. Shit shit shit shit shit. What should I do? Shit.


	29. Chapter 29

I had to concentrate to bring the bug to the surface. I didn't want to hurt it as I used the force, otherwise, 8237 as he called himself, wouldn't have anything to draw. Obi-wan and I were having a contest to see who could find the coolest bugs, and right now he was winning. We were told that we could bring him whatever, so long as we didn't hurt the creatures. 

I finally got the bug, and found that it was bigger than I thought. I was almost as big as my foot, and it was all kinds of colors. I had a big grin on my face as I picked it up and rushed over to where 8237 was. Obi-wan saw me first and started pouting. Then 8237 saw me and had a surprised look on his face. 

"Kid, where did you even find that?"

I put the large bug down, panting. "It was underground, and I found it using the force." I proclaimed. 

"Hey! No fair!" Obi-wan complained. 

"It's not my fault you can't use it very well." I argued. 

"Hey now. Stop fighting or you won't get to see this one!" He stated. I stopped immediately and ran over to where I could see the picture. Then I tripped over the bug and landed on my face. They were laughing at me, but that's ok. I got up quickly and went to where I could see it, the bug starting to go back into the ground. 

"You know, you really seem to have those kids entertained." Someone stated. 

"Those kids, as you call them, happen to be our Generals." Another man spoke. They all sound slightly different.

"Shut it Oz, Strike. Don't you have something better to do?"

"No, not really." I tapped 8237 on the shoulder. I was given a curious look. 

I looked him in the eyes, "Why do they all have names but you don't?"

"Dunno, haven't gotten one yet."

One of the others had a grin on his face. "Us clones tend to give each other names. It's kind like our own little tradition." 

I was excited. "Then could I give you one?" I asked. 

He seemed to chuckle. "If you want, though it is unusual for a jedi to name their troopers." I thought hard for a minute, and the others around us was exciting. Then someone was approaching us. They were annoyed.

"Syntrian! Kenobi! Didn't I tell the two of you to stay with Joha?" It was Shade. Joha appeared beside him, looking tired. 

"But we saw 8237 drawing something and thought it looked cool!" Obi-wan stated. 

Shade put his hand to his face. "So you thought you'd slip away to see a trooper sketching something?" That's it! I figured it out. 

"But he's really good at it!" I protested. "That's why his name should be Sketch!" Shade seemed to be a bit calmer now. 

"Alright, so you gave Sketch a name, now will you stay with Joha?" Shade asked. Neither of us answered, instead following Joha quietly. I hadn't expected that we would be scolded here. 

Rex, Cody, and Shade had finally had the chance to meet up again to discuss their next move. Cody reported that they had managed to completely destroy the weapon, and wipe the few computers that had survived. He had learned that the plans for the weapon came from some unknown third party, so there was no way to track them down. Cody also mentioned how he wasn't sure if anyone else had these plans or not. 

Once Cody finished, it was Rex's turn to report. The captain explained the jedi councils orders, and based off the reactions he received, his _vode _weren't that happy with them. Although they trusted Commander Tano, they didn't particularly want to just leave their generals like that. Especially when they were afraid that they would be reassigned to one of the jedi who didn't care. They all knew the stories that came from them, and every day they were glad to have kind generals.__

____

Shade however, found that he was left to report on the three children. His report was little more than the days activities, and also mentioning to Rex that Syntrian had decided to name one of his troopers. This got both Rex and Cody in a fit of laughter. Once the two older clones finished, they wanted to get an idea of how to help their generals. 

____

At this point, Jinx showed up, apparently having slightly more of an idea that the rest of them. However, when he began to explain what they knew so far, it wasn't much. They knew that the weapon was targeted at the jedi, but they weren't sure how. Then Cody mentioned how, when they were digging through the computers, they found its targeting system. It didn't make much sense, and mentioned something called midichlorians. Apparently the weapon was suppose to target those with high concentrations of those. 

____

This lead the clones to thinking that perhaps the weapon was targeting force users, although exactly what got it to lock onto Syntrian was a mystery. Well, until Rex mentioned that she was talking to the council at the time Cody had contacted them. Which then ended up with Rex confused as to why his _vode _suddenly knew what had happened. Shade was kind enough to inform him.__

______ _ _

Jinx then started to wonder if perhaps the force was the way to fix this? Cody seemed skeptical at first, but kept an open mind. Rex was willing to accept it after everything he's seen Skywalker do with it. Shade honestly wasn't surprised, of course his jetii would make him figure this out. He promptly remarked on said point and pointed out that Syntrian was probably worse than Skywalker. 

______ _ _

This devolved into Rex and Shade comparing the two with Cody and Jinx off to the side trying to focus them again. It wasn't going well for them. Jinx eventually ended up just leaving them to do as they wished, having more important things to worry about than who had the better jedi.

______ _ _

______ _ _

It was nearly an hour later when Shade was able to catch up with Joha and the generals. Shade was surprised to say the least. Although Skywalker and Kenobi both acted like Shade thought they would, he had thought Syntrian would be quieter, perhaps more cautious? He wasn't too sure. He definitely wasn't expecting her to be using the force to lift the other two while riding around on Joha's shoulders. He also wasn't expecting his _vod _to be enjoying the game.__

________ _ _ _ _

Despite how odd he found the situation, he was glad for how light the jedi seemed to be. They seemed to be having a good time, but he also found himself wanting to kill whoever had hurt his jetii so much that it took this from her. Perhaps he would talk to Kenobi about it if he got the chance.

________ _ _ _ _

Then she dropped the other two, and seemed to have a headache. She whimpered softly, then shook her head and carried on. Shade made a mental note to mention this to Jinx later. Perhaps it would help the medic figure something out. He almost tripped as the two boys rushed underfoot, away from where they were suppose to be. 

________ _ _ _ _

" _A euk gaa'tayl Jatne vod? _"1 Joha asked, obviously exhausted.__

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

"I'll take our jet'ika, _vod _. Grab Junk or Jinx and chase after the other two." Joha nodded, putting the girl down before comming one of his brothers to help him out. Shade watched him go, wondering how he even still had energy at this point.__

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"So, it looks like it's your turn to watch the kid." Cody joked, just now showing up. 

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Shade had a sad smile, "Yeah, guess so. But could you tell me something?"

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Cody looked intrigued. "It's about Syntrian isn't it?" The girl looked up at the mention of her name. 

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The captain nodded. "I know that she didn't have the best relationship with her previous master, but do you know what gave her so little confidence?"

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Cody sighed, "From what Kenobi would tell me, her previous master, a man by the name of Vall, did everything he could to get her to conform to what he believed a jedi should be. I think Kenobi said something about Vall trying his best to break some of her habits, like how she uses the force. Kenobi believes he went too far, into the realm of abuse. However, he could never get enough evidence of it to prove it to the council." Shade took that information in stride, but also grew annoyed. He had hoped to punch whoever had hurt her. But you can't hurt a dead man. 

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"Thanks Cody." He mumbled quietly. The commander nodded, leaving to attend to whatever else was needed. 

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations-
> 
> 1\. A little help Sir?


	30. Chapter 30

Shade had asked us to stay in what he called our rooms. Apparently we were going somewhere so we all had to get back on the ship. My room looked like it was big, though the people in the next room over were loud. They were discussing something. I dunno what. Maybe I could find something to do if I look around a bit? 

The bed looked messy. Apparently it wasn't made very often. The masters at the temple would scold me for that if they were here. There were things on the floor, but they seemed like they were in a circle. I wonder why? Then I saw a small desk. I climbed up on the chair, finding it covered in datapads. I took the first one and found that it had a language on it. No wait, I know this. Mando'a? But when did I learn that?

I put the pad down, my head starting to hurt again. I got a feeling that this wasn't right. It felt like the force was trying to tell me something, but I couldn't figure out what it was. I got this feeling earlier too. I think the force is trying to push me towards something. Maybe I could figure it out?

I got off the chair, and sat in the middle of the floor. I took a few deep breaths, attempting to meditate. The masters always tell me that I'm better at it than most my age. Though, this time, it seemed to come easier than normal. 

I felt the concern spread throughout the ship, taking the form of a single sentence. What will happen to us without the generals? It's on all of their minds. Their commanders, I think it was Shade Rex and Cody, they almost seemed hurt? Like they've lost something close to them. Then there's the ones next door. They're feeling a lot more than the others. With most of them, it was concern. But them? It felt more like what I'm getting from Shade. Then, of course, there's the two walking up to my door that feel more like children. 

They entered a moment later, and I could see that they were some of the guys with gold paint. Cody's men?

"Sir, we were wondering if you'd like to do something fun?" 

I perked up. "Like what?" 

The second one answered, "We want to prank some of our _vode _and it would be easier if you would help. Sir."__

____

"But Shade told me I had to stay here..."

____

"What the Captain doesn't know won't hurt him." The first one stated. 

____

"Besides, if you help us, then we could cover for you." The second stated. 

____

I thought for a moment. "Ok! Lets do it! But could you atleast tell me your names?" I asked. 

____

____

It turned out that Waxer and Boil had already started their prank. I was brought to the training room, which was empty, except for the two men laying on the floor. They explained that they had a prank war going on with some of Rex's men, and that these two, Fives and Echo, were their next targets. And they wanted them on the ceiling. Which is why the needed me. I watched as they flipped the first one so his back was up. Then Waxer pulled out what seemed to be some sort of adhesive, and smeared it all over the man's armor. 

____

"Alright kid. This is where you come in. Can you lift him up to the ceiling?" He asked. I had a grin on my face, finding this amusing. I concentrated, holding my hands out so I could focus better. I caught as one got on the others shoulders, but I focused on what I was doing. Then he started to float. He went higher and higher, until he finally touched the ceiling. It wasn't too high, but it was just a few inches higher than the two could reach on their own. I watched as they came over, and made sure every part of him was stuck to the ceiling. My headache was returning now, only much worse than before. 

____

Then we repeated the process with the second one. Once that was done, I started to feel lightheaded, and they ran off to get some paint. But the door opened again, and by then I couldn't really concentrate on my surrounding. 

____

____

Shade had been annoyed when he returned to find his jetii missing. Then he sighed. Of course she would be. Then he decided to comm Rex and Cody to see if they had any idea where she could be. Which is when Rex mentioned that he was missing a couple men. Which sent Cody off thinking that the next step of their prank war had begun. Rex promised to be over later to see the damage, and Cody met up with Shade. 

____

The two of them had asked after the girl, only to hear that Waxer and Boil had been seen with her. Cody muttered something, which lead to him tracking them down right as they were leaving the training room, mischievous grins on their faces. They had entered the room, expecting to find the prank, but instead found Syntrian. The two of them were surprised. She was on her knees, clutching at her head like it was killing her. A soft whine escaping her lips, her face scrunched in pain. Then she passed out, falling backwards. By the time she hit the floor, she looked to be back to normal. 

____

The two approached her carefully, uncertain as to what had just happened. Shade took a moment to check her for any injury, wondering if that was the cause. But there was nothing. He looked over to Cody, who was now staring at the ceiling. Shade followed his gaze only to find Rex's men stuck there. 

____

"Too high for them to get up there without help..." Cody stated in Mando'a. 

____

"You don't think they got Syntrian to help? Do you?" Shade questioned. 

____

"I think that's the only way, though how Waxer or Boil thought of that is a mystery." The door opened again to reveal the guilty party, who were now carrying several cans of paint. 

____

"Waxer! Boil! What happened here?" Cody demanded. 

____

They seemed upset they were caught. "It's just a prank Sir!"

____

"I don't care about the prank, Waxer. I wanted to know why you had the help of the Jedi."

____

Boil answered. "As you know sir, these rooms are just a bit too tall. Therefore, we thought we would have the jet'ika help us our with their force thing." Cody looked over to Shade, now ignoring the two troopers who took this as permission to continue. 

____

"What do you think? Take her to Medbay or her quarters?"

____

"I'm pretty sure if we give her to the medics, they won't release her for the next three days." The decision settled, Shade went to pick up his commander, taking her back to her quarters. Cody ended up staying behind, saying something about telling Rex what had happened. 

____

As luck would have it, Jinx just so happened to be returning to the barracks at the time Shade got there. A brief stunned reaction from the medic caught the rest of the squads attention. They all but cheered when they saw their commander, but they stayed where they were, relief washing over the group. 

____

Shade ended up setting her into her bunk, though he cursed the mess the room was in. He had the same problem back on the jedi shuttle, returning from Mandalore. He had to step aside to let Jinx do his thing, looking her over and making sure there did seem to be anything wrong. But he knew that nothing was certain until she woke up, then they could work on fixing the other two Jedi. 

____

"Shade. Why don't you go inform whoever you need to that Kirimoto at least seems to be back to normal, I'll stay here until she wakes up. Then I'll be able to find out a few things and we'll know for certain. You should probably also inform Rex, as I'm certain that he would like Skywalker to be normal again as soon as possible." Shade nodded, though he suddenly felt uncertain about leaving his commander. 

____

He pushed that away, making his way up to the main communication terminal, passing Cody on the way up. As he ordered them to open the channel back to Coruscant, he got a few curious glances. Shade ignored them all.

____


	31. Chapter 31

I woke to my body feeling heavy and my head aching like I had been blown up again. I took what felt like several minutes of effort to wrench my eyelids open. It was in this time when I felt the presence at my side. It was warm, caring, and yet, it was darkened by itself. Ah, Jinx then. But this brought up the question of where my captain was. He doesn't often leave my side, especially when something happens that makes me feel like this. But what did happen?

I blinked against the harsh lights, noting the grey above me. So if this wasn't the medbay, and definitely not the field, then that means I'm in my quarters. I went to push myself up, but was stopped by a hand pushing me gently back down. 

"Oh no. I'm not letting you push yourself this fast." Jinx stated, only partially joking. 

"It's nice to see you too." I paused, now getting a good look at his expression. He seemed so very relieved. "But if I may, what happened. The last things I remember was talking to the council then it gets fuzzy, and the last thing I knew was looking Rex in the eyes."

"Lets just say you're rather cute as a child." The medic teased. Well, kark. I don't even want to know what happened. "Get some rest Commander. I expect to see you in medbay the next time your up, and remember that no one likes a pissed medic." I don't really know what it was, but I felt myself falling asleep again as he left my quarters. 

When I woke next, I felt a lot better. I wonder how long I was out, though that was cut short when a cry was heard from nearby. I had to stop myself from cursing when I noted that Obi-wan was on the ground, but at least he was back to normal? Come to think of it, why was he even here? And why do I get a weird feeling from my men? 

I got a better look at the mess on my floor, realising that someone had moved the various things that tend to float while I'm asleep, and found they had replaced it with my master, who was now unconscious. I looked around, finding my comm a few feet away. I brought it to me, and briefly wondered which officer I was going to scold for this. 

"Shade?" I decided eventually. 

It took a moment for him to respond. "Yes, Commander?" He stated. He must be near another general, that was the only reason he wouldn't be using my name. 

"Which one of you is responsible for the mess of a person on my floor?"

"I believe that was Cody's idea, sir." He stated. I thanked him before ending the transmission. Now the real question. Do I call Cody, and have him take the jedi elsewhere, or leave him on the floor?

The question answered itself when Cody knocked on my door. He entered and quickly got a surprised expression. Whether that was from me, or Kenobi was uncertain. 

"I hear this was your doing?" I stated, crossing my arms as I attempted to look cross. "Mind explaining?"

He seemed a bit uncomfortable. "We had a running theory that the force that you jedi use was one way to reverse the effects of that mystery weapon. We then assumed that since you reverted back after using the force, that it should work for Skywalker and Obi-wan as well." I was caught off guard by the commander's use of Kenobi's first name, but let it slide. 

"And how does this lead to him being on my floor? And how did you even come up with that solution anyway?"

"When we were dismantling the weapon, I had one of my boys going through its computer system. We found out that it was set to target areas with high numbers of something called midichlorians." I found this odd, and filed it away, "So we figured that it was made specifically to attack jedi."

"I'm still not seeing how this leads to Obi-wan on the floor."

Cody almost seemed amused. "After we got our working theory, and a bit of proof, we had originally planned to wait until you had woken up to test it further. But then Shade mentioned a little piece of info."

It started to dawn on me. "Shade knew that I tend to concentrate the force on whatever's around me when I sleep..."

He nodded. "He suggested that we see what would happen if we put one of our generals near you, so...."

"Well," I began after a minute. "He can't stay here. And I've apparently got to go find Jinx before he catches wind that I'm up." Cody chuckled, and scooped up the jedi master. The practiced way he got through the motions told me this wasn't the first time he's done this.

I ended up finding Shade as he was speaking with the council. Rex, who was on another ship, seemed to be attending the meeting via hologram. I simply raised an eyebrow and went to join them. Apparently, they were giving the council a more detailed description of what had happened during our battle. I felt a spark of pride when I saw their faces. Windu seemed to almost grow remorseful, whereas I couldn't tell much difference in either Yoda or Plo's faces. 

"Ah, Padawan Kirimoto. It is good to see you again." Plo stated. I gave the man a respectful bow, joining the conversation. 

"Your captain informed us that you were up and about. As it is, I'm curious what you remember from the ordeal." Windu stated. 

I gave him a curious look. "Between speaking with you and now? Not much, although I would think that Master Kenobi may be a better person to speak to if you want a more accurate picture. You could also ask Master Skywalker for his opinions, though you would have to be willing to deal with a small child." They almost seemed to consider this, but then Yoda spoke up. 

"Neither here nor there, this is. Contact you for a mission, we have."

This peaked my curiosity. "Oh, so soon? It hasn't been that long since the last one."

"As much as we would prefer to keep you with Kenobi, it would seem that Master Plo has need of your special talents." Windu explained. 

The Kel Dor spoke up. "We've run into a problem while attempting to take one particular base. My men can't get near it, and I don't want to risk the entire battalion with a full frontal assault."

"So you want me, and possibly my men to sneak in and take the base? Or simply remove whatever it is keeping you out?" I pieced in. 

His face seemed to light up just a bit. "If you could get your squad in, then I suspect that our attempt to capture this base would go much smoother." I thought about it for a moment, turning to Shade. He had a determined look to him as he gave me a quick nod. 

"Alright. I'll set out as soon as I can. Hopefully, we'll be there in a rotation or two." I stated. The council signed off, as did Rex. it left just the two of us standing there. 

"Damn it! I thought I told that idiot of a jedi to come find me once she woke up! I swear! When I find her...." I didn't stick around to hear the rest of Jinx's rambling. 

Though, amusingly, Shade called out as I ran off. "Sir, If you don't mind I'd like to talk to you later about someone I think would fit in well with us." I gave him some form of ok as I rushed off. 

Obi-wan had woken up in the Medbay, though he was more confused than anything. After all, wasn't he just on the planet? And what happened to the battle. He was glad that Cody seemed to be nearby, perhaps his friend could shed some light on this. 

"Cody!" He stated, Sitting up. "Why am I in the Medbay, and what happened to the siege?"

The man gave him a curt nod, "It's a rather long story as to why your here, but I can say that the factory's no more."

"What do you mean? The last thing I remember, we were still trying to get more data on the factory."

Cody smirked. "It seems that your Padawan has a lot more to her than we knew. She managed to take the blasted thing in only an hour, and we were done with clean up in less than a rotation." Obi-wan was taken aback by this. He had a good feeling about this mission, but he hadn't expected that. "You should also be aware that Syntrian seems to be more of a warrior than we originally thought. Our casualties this time around were also impressively low."

"It sounds like you may even respect her more than you do me. If I'm not careful than I may be replaced." He joked. 

"Sir, no one could replace you. Besides, there's only one person that could ever be in your place." Cody's eyes gave off a hint of something more. The jedi knew exactly what, but before he could say anything else, the door to the medbay came open. In walked a rather pissed looking Jinx, dragging an annoyed Syntrian behind him. 

"Looks like someone didn't listen to their medic." Cody teased. 

"Even I couldn't get away with that for long." Kenobi added. The two men had a laugh at the padawan's annoyance as she was dragged to one of the beds.


	32. Chapter 32

It had taken two hours before Jinx let me out of his sight again, and I could tell that Obi-wan was amused by the medic. It didn't help that I could hear the other medics laughing, telling Jinx he did well in forcing me to follow his orders. Obi-wan had simply told me not to worry too much, and to just remember not to annoy them in the future. 

It was near the end of my stay there, when Cody had stated that there was an incoming ship and that I should go to greet it. Odd, but the fact that a single glance from Cody made Jinx release me was more interesting at that moment. I would have asked if it wasn't for the fact that I was all but pushed from the room, and told that Shade would meet me there. 

So now, I was standing in the hanger bay with Shade at my side, waiting for this oh so important shuttle. I had thought to ask if he knew what was going on, but apparently he had been told even less than me. We did however have a brief conversation where he asked if he could snatch up one of Rex's rookies to add to our squad. When I asked why, Shade simply stated that he had a good feeling about him and that he thought he would fit in well. I allowed it, curious as to who this would bring us. 

Then, finally, the shuttle arrived. It only looked to be big enough to house perhaps a dozen or so people, and even then I only felt four aboard. I allowed a smirk to grace my lips as I figured out why we were here. Shade still seemed confused, but I did nothing to relieve it. After all, one of us has to be surprised. 

Then shuttle landed, and down came the boarding ramp. My smirk had turned into a warm smile when the four ARCs descended. Shade's surprise was all but overflowing into the force as he saw each one. 

"It seems that we'll have all our boys heading into this next mission."

"Seems so." They seemed to be in high spirits, and it was easy to see that they had customized there armor even more than they had before. Well, at least it will be easy to pick them out. They greeted us casually, and it was around then when a few others started to show up. We spoke for a few minutes, then Obi-wan showed up. 

"I hear you've been assigned to help Master Plo with his attack on Suukant." He began, "It seems that he even requested that your men be allowed to accompany you, despite the council believing they would be of better use aiding the 212th."

"We're going on a mission already? This'll be fun!" Hellfire stated. Vos grinned and I noted that Stunner seemed quiet. 

Kenobi spoke up again. "You'll be leaving within the hour, but I do believe you're waiting for your trooper to arrive. In the meantime, you should be able to have your shuttle refueled and be ready to set off by the time he arrives." At this Vos grew excited, muttering about having to find some paint for the kid and wondering if he'll also get the ARC training. Stunner seemed to liven up a bit as well.

"We're getting a rookie? Must have been some kid to have caught your eye." Stunner stated, directed towards Shade. 

The captain had a smirk on his face. "He's got an eye for detail. I think he'd do well in recon. No offence, Klicks, but your much better suited to shooting than spying."

"Eh, I know my limits. It's fine." The sniper retorted. We split a few minutes later, off to prepare for the mission at hand. I couldn't help the grin as I passed the training room. Apparently someone had decided to prank Fives and Echo by sticking them to the ceiling, and they currently had more than a few men laughing at them. 

Soon enough, it was time to leave, though I admit that I was stumped when I couldn't seem to find my lightsaber. I had everything else, my pistol, several spare energy packs, and even a few spare bacta patches, as Jinx felt I was going to need them. I was about to give up, and just proceed without it, when Shade was kind enough to hand it to me, stating that he had kept it on his belt for a time and just hadn't had the chance to return it. 

We boarded the ship, though we were missing this rookie we were getting. He ended up bounding up the ramp at the last possible moment, stating that his name was Sketch and that he was sorry for being late. Vos and Stunner took the kid almost immediately, all but dragging him back to the quarters to paint his armor. I smiled at their antics, though I wondered how long this would last. 

Shade reported to me after a few minutes, stating that everything read as normal and that we should arrive at Suukant in around thirty six hours. Then we just sat in silence, keeping each other company for a while. In the background, an occasional crash signaled their roughhousing. 

"Ya know." He said out of nowhere. "From what Cody told me, you handled yourself well."

I turned so I could see his face. "What do you mean?" 

"Apparently, the kid that has a breakdown at the thought of having to command is skilled enough as a leader to inspire the troops following her." He teased. 

"I suppose I am." I began. "I guess I owe that to Vall." I cut off, hoping he wouldn't notice.

He did though, and he asked me about it. "You don't sound too happy about that. Would you mind telling me?" He asked. I wondered if he really knew what he was about to get into. 

Yet, I couldn't help myself when the words began to spill from my mouth. "I never knew much of the man, but what I did know of him was enough to make me dislike him. From the first moment I was assigned to him, he had disapproved of the so called casual way I find myself using the force. He attempted to break me of this particular habit, but he never did get far. After a while though, it started to get a bit better I guess..." I trailed off, not even sure why I was telling him this. 

Shade hadn't expected this, that much was clear. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not even sure why I'm telling you this, but it was then when he switched from lessons in the force, to more physical stuff. He knew I excelled at lightsaber combat when I was younger, so he decided that if I could spend all my energy in learning the arts of combat, then I wouldn't use the force as easily. By the time I was fifteen, I was better than some of the knights and could even beat them in a duel. But at the same time, I could no longer speak to most of the masters without flinching."

He seemed intrigued. "But that was changing even as we met."

"Eventually, the clone war began, and we were assigned command of the 714th battalion. I watched as he began to extend his harsh treatment of me to the men. It was then when I met a man by the name of Renegade. I'm not sure why, but I found that he had stood out to me. Vall didn't see it, and claimed that we didn't need a captain. Apparently that was giving them too much of an identity. I'm not sure why, but it was then when I was able to go against him, despite the fact that I was anxious just being around him. I argued with him, telling him that it was a lot more likely that they would serve him better if they were allowed this." I felt someone else nearby, but I ignored it, letting him listen in. 

It took Shade but a second to respond. "Vall didn't like that very much, did he?"

I shook my head, feeling tears threatening to break free. "I did end up winning that argument, and Renegade ended up becoming our captain. But that evening, when everyone had retired to their rooms, he visited me. As his hands beat into me, he told me that I should never contradict him, and that if I couldn't follow a simple order, than I was worthless as a jedi. He left me that night broken and bruised, and I cried silently in my room as I patched up my own wounds."

"Why didn't you go to the medbay?" He asked softly. I could hear that there were now many ears listening, and trying poorly at hiding themselves. 

"Simple. He had forbidden me from doing so unless it was something I received in battle. To do otherwise was to invoke his wrath. However, by our next mission, the men were looking to me for orders, and sometimes I would change Vall's plans. The troops always thanked me for it, despite the fact that every time he found out, there was more punishment to be had. Then came that day. We were helping Master Kenobi take a planet. I was suppose to stay by Vall's side, and Renegade was going to lead a strike from the rear once the droids had come closer. I decided to disobey orders, and I went with Renegade instead. My reward was to watch as those men, my aliit1, died. I was the only survivor..." I felt a wave of embarrassment mixed with shame as a single tear slide down my face. No one responded for a long while, then. Slowly, A hand found itself on my shoulder, and soon, I was engulfed in hugs. I tensed up at first, having not expected it. Eventually, I let myself relax into it.


	33. Chapter 33

We arrived at Suukant without any other incident, and we were able to land surprisingly easily. We double checked that we had everything we would need before disembarking. Stunner almost seemed proud as he managed to reveal Sketch's paint job, and made certain to point out the bits that he and Vos did. 

It was simple to find Master Plo, as his men were more than eager to lead me to him. Apparently they were pleased that they were finally going to be able to finish this mission. The Kel Dor seemed to be waiting for us with his Commander. They seemed pleased enough to see us. 

"Now that you are here, perhaps we can take this base." He began. 

I felt a wave of anxiety, but pushed it down. "Just tell us what you need. My boys and I are more than capable of getting the job done." I think the Kel Dor smiled as he went to face the holo of the building. 

"We've learned that this is where the separatist leaders are holding out. Unfortunately, they've made it nearly impossible for us to enter. So far, we've seen heavy shields and heavier guards. We sent a scouting party to see if they could find an opening, but after they got to the shield, they were incinerated, which lead us to believe that they have some new type of life form detector. We haven't been able to learn any more." I took all this in stride. 

"Difficult, but not impossible." Shade stated, mostly to himself. 

"I agree, but it's nothing we haven't dealt with before." I thought for a moment. "Captain, have you practiced on what we discussed on the way here?" I caught Shades eye, which seemed more curious than anything. 

"Yes, Sir. Do you mean to use it to our advantage?"

I smirked. "I believe it may give us a distinct advantage." I started to think. "Perhaps if we were to split up once we're inside..."

"We could attack both the shield itself and the leaders." He finished. 

Plo chimed in. "Well, it seems that you two have it all worked out. I assume this means we'll have this planet shorty." He joked. It caught me off guard. Yet even more than that, I was surprised at how calm I was. Where did my nerves go? I had the feeling that Plo had something to do with it. We spoke for a few more minutes before setting off, my squad buzzing with excitement, though we did get a few strange looks from some of Plo's wolfpack. 

"Syntrian?! That you?" I heard from somewhere around. I knew that voice, and a smile now adorned my features. I heard the telltale sound of a small creature rolling towards me. Then a pressure on my back, and a furry arm appearing on my shoulder. 

"It's nice to see you too, Tub." I greeted, turning my head a bit to get a better look at my friend. I could sense that my men were confused.

Vos was the one who spoke first. "Ahh, Sir?" I turned to face the man, Tub getting off me and coming to stand where I could see him. The Lurmen padawan was one of my only friends in the order. I noticed that he hadn't changed much, and other than the fact that I thought his fur was a bit darker around the near white x on his face, he seemed to have gotten himself a new lightsaber. 

"Don't worry, Vos. This is Tub, one of my friends. Tub, this is my squad." My men began to investigate the small jedi next to me all the way to the edge of their camp. 

We found their base rather easily, and we could see why they were having a hard time. It looked as though they had three or maybe even four separate shields guarding the place. Then there was the life form scanner and incinerator. They can't get close and they also couldn't just bomb it. 

"Klicks, take Sketch and see what you can find." The two went off, presumably to find a nice spot to observe from. 

Vos spoke up. "It seems like you've got a plan?"

I found my uncertainty coming back. "Once we're inside the shield. Let's split into two. Jinx, Joha, and Vos, you'll be with me. We'll be heading to capture the leaders. Shade, you'll have Junk, Stunner and Hellfire. The four of you will have the task of disabling their defenses." I could feel that Shade wanted to disagree, though if it was just because he wanted to watch me himself or some other complaint was uncertain. "Any questions?"

"What happens of one group fails?" Vos brought up.

Shade took over. "If we're planning on keeping Sketch and Kliicks out here, then we could use them as a relay back to general Koon. Should one team fail for some reason, than hopefully one of them will be able to report their whereabouts to them."

"If we give them say, until nightfall, before they head back. Then we could insure that should we both get captured or disabled, that help could be on the way."

"Sir." The comm crackled, sounding like Sketch. "You'd like to know that we've seemingly found a weak spot in their defenses. I'll send you the coords."

"It seems that it's time." Hellfire stated, getting riled up. It was comforting in a way. As we prepared to head out, I could hear Shade telling Jinx to keep an eye on me, with Jinx promising to do his best. In another circumstance, I would have teased the captain, but not now. Not just before going into battle. 

We approached the Shield, and I went first, just to double check. Once I was though, and still alive, I went back to grab my team. I could feel them tense as I lead them through, their hands on my shoulders. I left them in a decent hiding spot, going back to help Shade's group. Shade got across just fine, using the fact that he's near me so much to his advantage. I brought the rest of his group over. 

We nodded to each other before separating. I lead my group down a maze of halls, quickly losing sight of Shade's group. I had a strong feeling of where I was going. Everything seemed to be going smoothly, which of course meant that it immediately started to go wrong.

It started as a soft, yet high pitched noise that the men couldn't hear. Then, as it started to grow in volume, it started to hurt, and they caught on to what was happening. Jinx was concerned, stating that if it was going to get louder, and stay around, then it could damage my hearing. He cursed, wishing that Junk was here. Still though, he took off his own helmet, and took a minute to attempt to modify it. 

It was during this time when it grew louder. Now it was almost as though the building was screaming at me. I tried harshly covering my ears, but it did little to help. Soon that was all I could focus on. Where the kark was this blasted noise coming from!? Who was screaming?

I hadn't even felt myself being coerced into moving towards the nearest wall. Nor did I notice that my hands were at my sides. Not until I saw the helmet passing over my vision and the sound being dampened, though not entirely. Everything seemed muted, and I could only just make out that someone was speaking. 

"...trian... Syntrian? You there?" It was Jinx. 

"I think? I'm having a hard time hearing anything though."

The medic just seemed concerned. "I'll have to do a through check on you once we get out of here, but whatever you do, don't remove the helmet. Whatever it is your hearing has already started to affect you, and I'm not sure how much more you can take." He had his hand on my shoulder, and only removed it once I agreed. The last time I had seen him like this was that time I nearly died because of my own actions. 

We continued down the maze of halls, eventually coming to what I assumed was the door leading to our prize. Using the force, I opened it, revealing six or seven of the Suukan people. They all seemed surprised, if a bit annoyed. 

"Alright. So here are the leaders. Vos, update our lookouts." I can only assume he did as I asked. 

Then I had a blaster in my face, right up against the visor of the helmet. No one could see my emotionless face, and no one knew how calm I was in this moment. I raised my hand, reaching out with the force. It felt right. 

"You really shouldn't be pointing that at me. Someone could get hurt." I stated, the man now choking. The emotions of almost everyone in the room exploded, but the main thing was that the man with the gun managed to knock my helmet off. I winced as the sound came back, but it wasn't enough for me to drop him, I did however loosen the grip a little. 

I could feel the shock from my own men, and the fear from those we were sent to capture. Then, suddenly, a pop and everything was quiet. I felt something wet hit my shoulder. I looked down just enough to figure out that it was my own blood. Looking back up, I could see my men starting to take them into custody. The moment I realised I couldn't hear anything other than the ringing in my ears was surreal.


	34. Chapter 34

Shade had managed to lead his group to find the control room. It seemed to be simple enough, several large screens to show the cameras and a multitude of switches and buttons. He set his boys to figuring out how to disable everything, which he allowed himself to glance over the view screens. On one of them, he noticed Syntrian's group, they had been making good progress, but they stopped because she seemed to be in pain. 

Shade cursed himself, of course she would get into trouble when he wasn't around. But Jinx was suppose to be watching her, so what was happening? Shade watched, only to see a hint of red drip from the ear he could see. Jinx had come up with a solution, but Shade had a feeling it was going to get worse.

Shade had been getting a lot of these feelings recently, and he had been concerned about what it meant. Then his jetii came along and found out. She had been curious at first, but then she seemed to figure out what it was and became rather fascinated by it. He remembered her saying something about speaking to General Kenobi about it but she hadn't had the chance yet. 

Anyway, that didn't really matter now. What mattered was the face that He could see her using to force to hold one of them in the air. It concerned him, yet this stupid something told him not to worry, and that everything would be find. Then he saw the helmet get knocked off her head and blood start dripping from her ears. Whatever was happening wasn't good. 

Then Junk told him they were good to go, and they decided to meet back up with the other squad before leaving the area. Shade had Stunner report in. They had been told that Syntrian's team was also finishing with they're target, which they already knew. Then they were told Jinx's latest report, which had them all on edge. 

Apparently Jinx had done a quick check as they were securing their prisoners, and had found a few things. The first was simply that whatever she had been hearing had deafened her. The second was that Jinx wasn't sure if he could fix it or not. If it was just the first, then they would have just brushed it off as their commander hurting herself again. The second part being there seemed to all but destroy a good portion of their moral. 

Then Junk mentioned that he might be able to whip something up if Jinx couldn't help her. This one comment gave them quite a bit of hope, and Shade was glad. Shade hoped that whatever was going to happen, it would make sure that they're commander was alright. 

By the time that they met up with the first group, Shade could tell that Syntrian was having a hard time. Especially since she seemed to be holding herself back from panicking. Shade did what he could to calm her, maybe even trying to reach out to the girl. He was surprised when she cracked him a smile. 

They had to fight their way out after frying the security systems, and he had to admit, his commander was good in a fight. So much so that even their prisoners seemed to be impressed. Shade thought that he had heard one of them say how they were screwed either way if this is who they sent to capture them. 

The whirl of her lightsaber slicing through the droids as she jumped in the fray, whipping her pistol out, was more than enough to see how she so quickly got the admiration of nearly every trooper on the field. Then she started to use hand to hand on them, while shooting and controlling the lightsaber, and Shade and the men couldn't even find a chance to help her. 

It didn't take them long to exit the building, though they were surprised when they found that the building was surrounded by General Koon's troops. Their prisoners were taken from them, and the General came up to them. Shade took off his helmet, figuring that he was probably going to have to speak for the general. Syntrian may be able to read lips, but she has to be able to see them first. 

General Koon found this to be odd, but seemed to pick up on what was going on pretty quickly. He excused Syntrian, Jinx and Junkpile off to do whatever while the Kel Dor Jedi spoke with Shade and the others. They then recited what happened as best they could, which honestly wasn't much. Only Syntrian would know exactly what happened, and they would have to have a long, probably annoying conversation about it later.

I found that I was having a rough time. Jinx and Junk were talking about something I couldn't quite follow, and I knew I wouldn't be able to get much from Master Plo without help. I briefly wondered where Tub had gotten to, but couldn't There were troops rushing back and forth around me, and I found myself feeling... Worthless... I kept my face emotionless, knowing that they would probably try to dig into me again, and I didn't really want to reveal myself anymore than I had. 

Joha met up with me after a few minutes, as I was sitting on a rock they had found. He wanted to know if I would be willing to learn their sign language, stating that he had already taught it to Master Kenobi and that he was pretty sure I could pick it up easily. I was mildly amused when I caught that he was using it while explaining. I decided to allow it, figuring I may as well try, though I kept the more negative feelings to myself. It wouldn't befit a jedi to show them, and unfortunately, I had never been taught how, as most of the others seem to be able to, to remove them at will. 

He left and I could feel Master Plo approaching. He seemed to sense the turbulence in my mind, as I felt a wave of calm wash over me. He had Shade and his own commander, who was introduced as Wolffe, with him. Plo began, but after a few sentences he apparently stopped, letting one of the officers beside him relay what he was saying. Apparently they had captured a good portion of the planet, but they had found a few other bases they would like cleared before we leave, assuming Jinx would allow it. 

Jinx then seemed to get in an argument with Wolffe and Shade which I only caught pieces of. I also caught amusement coming off of master Plo. If I were to guess, I'd say that Jinx has an issue with sending, what he probably called, an injured party back into the battlefields. Knowing Shade, he would have stated that I would probably do what I wanted anyway, despite their best efforts. Based on the fact that Jinx now looked defeated, I assume that I was on the right track. 

Then the three of them seemed to grow more serious, and turned towards Plo. It would seem that the jedi was saying something. I watched as Shade copied what he was saying, though he seemed to be getting a bit annoyed about something. I was told that we were going to be heading off to get the next couple of bases that Plo and his men couldn't get to, all while they went for the more easily accessible ones. Plo explained for a few more minutes about what he needed from us before walking off, preparing his troops to march. 

Jinx took this time to do a quick exam, poke and prodding as he tried to see what he could learn. Then I felt the unpleasant sensation of bacta being applied. I wasn't too sure what it was going to do in this case, but I think he just wanted to keep things from getting infected before we had the chance to get back to the Negotiator. After all, we had little more than a quickly patched together first aid station on the shuttle. 

Once everyone had regrouped, and Shade had gotten the coords of the other bases, we set off, deciding to take the shuttle as a couple of them were further away. I happened to notice that Junk was fiddling with a box of spare parts, and though I was curious as to what he was doing, I allowed him to do as he wished. Knowing him, he was probably trying to figure out a solution to my current problem.


	35. Chapter 35

I ducked just in time, a blaster bolt flying mere inches from my head. I swear these fights are getting easier and easier, though I'm certain that Jinx is having a meltdown about now. He keeps insisting that I stay on the ship, and that they could handle this one, but I didn't want to be left behind. The thought of becoming a liability kept me going, although Jinx will probably kill me if I were to get hurt again. Damn medics are finicky like that. 

I reached out, crushing the last few droids using the force. Relief came washing off my men, and it was that which allowed me to relax in turn. I turned to get a better look at any injuries we may have sustained, and other than a single shot to Vos', left arm, we seemed to be good. They caught up to me, and a couple took their helmets off. In the few days we've been at this, it's started to become a habit for them, and one I appreciated. 

We briefly discussed our next move, which ended up with us copying what we did on the first day. I could feel that something was off this time around but I couldn't figure out what it was. It only grew as we neared the command room, and I could feel five people inside. Then I realized it. One of them was familiar. And I remember exactly where I knew him from. 

"It seems we have a wanted criminal here boys. And this particular one has a grudge against me." I muttered, sensing my boys growing eager. They were always ready to protect me if they could. I had learned that much in these past few days. I took a deep breath, and opened the door. I locked my gaze on him immediately, pulling him into the air. 

"So nice to see you again, Resad. But I'm afraid that it seems our roles are reversed." He seemed to stiffen. 

"So, my sweet Syntrian, you are the ghost terrorizing my operation." He smirked, glaring daggers. "Tell me, is that master of yours around? I would love another round with the two of you." I have to take a moment to steady myself when I found I was growing angry. 

"Then I guess you'll be disappointed." He seemed to cackle, and turned his head so I couldn't see it as clearly. He said something that got the men riled up, and Joha seemed to lurch forward, arguing against whatever he was saying. Then he turned back to me. 

"What's wrong? Need your pets to argue for you?" He taunted. There was a sharp increase in hate for this man in that moment. 

I had to stop myself from growling. "My men are not property, and you are going to be locked up for a long time. Can't say I can control what happens before then though." The boys seemed to enjoy that as the started to take the others into custody. We would be dropping them off with master Plo shortly, though I do wonder about how he'll respond to this particular prisoner. 

As they were finishing up, Shade's group caught up. They were almost immediately confused when they noticed their _vode _. It took the captain a moment to figure out that whatever they were worked up about had to do with one of our prisoners. Then Shade's group grew protective, and I knew there would be questions later.__

__As we made our way back to the shuttle, I felt tempers flare, and whatever was going on behind me would end poorly if I didn't do something. Then I got the feeling that Shade wanted me to stay out of it. I gave a satisfied smile when I figured out that he had sent that purposefully. I allowed them their fun, but kept watch over them using the force._ _

__It was when we reached the shuttle when Shade finally asked where I knew Resad from. He had surprised me, as I hadn't been paying attention at the time, but I figured I may as well tell them. After all, they'll find out one way or another._ _

__And that was how a simple tale ended up with me having to hold my troopers back using the force so they didn't kill Resad. We hadn't even made it on the shuttle, so I was just holding them all a foot or so off the ground, and making sure they couldn't reach their weapons. Shade was the only one who wasn't restrained, and that was only because he had the sense to at least try to stay calm._ _

__This also happened to be the scene that was playing out when Klicks and Sketch returned. I found it amusing when I caught Klicks saying something along the lines of 'looks like they made dad mad', which apparently amused Sketch as well. I gave them a strange look, wondering how I ended up being the dad in this strange aliit. Shade almost seemed offended by the suggestion that this would make him the mom. I was amused. The rest of the boys seemed to calm down, and I felt a wave of shame wash over a few of them. I was merciful enough to let them down, so long as they promised not to attack Resad again._ _

__Klicks and Sketch took our prisoners to the cell that Junk had rigged up, while the rest of the boys began to file in. Shade stood back a moment so he could talk with me._ _

__"Were you aware of that?"_ _

__"What? That apparently we're the parents? Or the fact that you seemed to be upset that you're not the dad?" He seemed to grow embarrassed._ _

__Yet he managed a smile when he spoke, "I didn't think they would band together like this. I think it had something to do with your story the other night. They've been acting a bit different since then."_ _

__"I can tell. You know they haven't let me out of they're sights in days. It's like they're taking after you." I teased. He didn't answer, only walked up the ramp to the ship. I followed a moment later._ _

__

__We were about halfway back to Master Plo's main forces when Junk came up to me. He had something hidden in his hands, and he seemed proud of himself. When I asked what it was, he simply stated that he had been working on something for me. He revealed what he had, showing a pair of items. I gave him a curious look, and he handed them to me and began explaining._ _

__Apparently he had gone through our spare parts to see what he could find, and used them to make a sort of tiny holoprojector type of device. He explained that they would only work within about ten feet of me, but that they would be able to pick up whats going on around me and have any words be displayed for me. He then explained that if I didn't want to use them, then they would be able to retract into themselves so they were less noticeable._ _

__He motioned for me to hand him one of them, which he took and promptly looped around my ear. He tapped on it, and a small, triangular frame expanded out, which ended in a soft blue light. My breath hitched when the words he was speaking started to appear before my eyes like the subtitles on the holoflicks we weren't suppose to watch in the temple. I praised him, impressed that he managed to create such a thing. Then he began to explain how they worked a bit more as I got the second one positioned._ _

__Apparently they could either be used together, to get a feel of three dimensions, or they could be used by themselves. I wondered how he managed that, then I saw that he was explaining how they could also link up to their comm system so they could speak in battle if they needed to._ _

__After a few minutes, Junk had finished his explanations, and had left. Which is precisely when the comm started to go off. I found myself with a soft smile when I found that I was getting the subtitles telling me that it was doing so. Vos happened to show up about now, his wound freshly patched. He sat beside me with an amused smirk._ _

__"So, Junk actually managed it." He commented as the holo of master Plo appeared._ _

__He seemed to notice that things had changed slightly, "Kirimoto. Once you are finished, meet us back on the ship. My men and I await your return."_ _

__"Alright. We should be there shortly." I stated taking the controls. The holo faded out as we made our way back to the ship._ _


	36. Chapter 36

We docked with Plo's ship and things seemed to be going well enough for us. The boys lead the newest batch of prisoners out to meet up with the men waiting to take them to lockup, and I noticed that Plo was standing there as well. He greeted us warmly, and I was caught off guard when the jedi master ruffled my hair while praising me. A few of my men saw fit to chuckle, though even they couldn't break through the wave of emotion that had come crashing through me. 

"Careful _buir _, You might break her." Wolffe stated. "It looks like she isn't use to it yet." He teased. I hardly caught the Mando'a the commander had uttered as I tried to regain myself. We began walking, and it took me all the way up until we reached the bridge to be able to push that aside. I noted that Obi-wan seemed to be waiting patiently for us. His face was blank, but I got the feeling he was concerned.__

__"Ah, Syntrian. How goes the mission?" I wonder if he noticed anything out of the ordinary._ _

__"I believe that we should be able to return soon, though there were a few complications."_ _

__He seemed to show some worry now. "Complications, like what?"_ _

__"Well, for one, you should know that Resad happened to show up here." He seemed to tense up, which didn't go unnoticed by Shade._ _

__"And the rest?" He inquired._ _

__"Ahh, you see..." I trailed off._ _

__He seemed exasperated. "Did you hurt yourself again?"_ _

__I flinched at his tone. "Well, you see..." I hesitated. "Events may have happened that lead to me becoming deaf." He just stared at me in disbelief for a few moments. I could feel his disapproval from here._ _

__"Do not blame your padawan, Obi-wan." Plo began. "This time at least, it seemed to have been a trap. From what her men have told me, and the bits I've gotten from her, she was a victim of someone who knew what they were doing. I presume this Resad?" He explained. I kept my head down, not feeling like making a bigger disappointment of myself. I could tell that Plo was explaining more of what had occured, but I wasn't paying attention to it. Instead, I felt Shade trying to comfort me._ _

__I began to pay attention again when I saw they were talking more about me. Apparently Plo was wondering if anybody had bothered to teach me how to release my feelings, and Obi-wan seemed to grow more tired, citing that he had heard from multiple others about this, but hadn't had the time to sit down with me to figure it out. I felt kinda bad about that too, but I wasn't going to make myself any more of a nuisance than I already seemed to be._ _

__Obi-wan then asked if I would be bringing Resad back with me, and when he should expect me back. Plo answered simply, stating that his mission was completed and that I would be returning shortly. Obi-wan seemed pleased enough by this and ended the transmission. I found myself wishing I was back in that hanger getting a compliment I didn't know of to take. It was easier than always being the padawan who was always a disappointment._ _

__The men were dismissed and Plo had me walk with him for a bit. Shade had objections but Wolffe pulled him along, telling him to give us space. Then, once we were away from most of the others, the jedi master began, pointing out my mood._ _

__"I'm sorry, master..." I mumbled._ _

__He seemed persistent. "You fell so easily to your shame. I take it your previous master wasn't so kind?" He fished._ _

__I knew what he was doing, and yet I couldn't stop myself. "It's nothing new. I'm always disappointing someone around me, and it always gets taken out on me." He seemed thoughtful, as he didn't say anything for a while._ _

__Then his hand appeared on my shoulder, and we stopped. "Your men don't see it that way. Why else would they have spent the time and effort to make that device for you? And from what we heard of Ubeh, you manage to inspire the troops you lead. That is not an easy thing, even for most jedi. You have skills you simply aren't aware of." He stopped for a moment, and I wondered where this was going. "Master Kenobi may have seemed disappointed, but I think that once you return to him, he'll have thought over his words and will apologize." His words made me feel slightly better, but I still had a way to go._ _

__We were on our way back to the hanger bay when we met back up with Tub. He wanted to know about the little devices that Junk had made, and asked if he could get something made for him. Plo gave him a weird look but allowed it. Tub ended up controlling the conversation for a while, and he even managed to find his little companion. It was a little blue butterfly like creature he pick up somewhere._ _

__The moment my men saw it, they were all over him, which is I guess what he wanted. Apparently they had a thing for his little butterfly, which he named Flutter. Then Tub asked Junk about a request he had, which Junk obliged happily. Tub was with us for another hour or so while the men got the ship ready and Junk made whatever it was Tub wanted._ _

__

__We returned to the Negotiator quicker than I would have thought, although I'm sure that if it had taken any longer, then someone would have taken to 'interrogating' Resad. When we docked, I could feel apprehension coming in waves. It was Obi-wan. I grew uncertain as we neared the boarding ramp._ _

__Outside, Obi-wan was waiting for us. Cody stood nearby with a few men. Cody motioned for his men to take Resad, which even Obi-wan gave a sour glare towards. Whatever Cody's reaction was, was lost to me as he moved further away. I sighed, my expression falling. I barely paid attention as Obi-wan explained that Jinx could do his tests later, as apparently Obi-wan had something he needed to talk to me about._ _

__I felt a few glances from my men as Obi-wan dragged me off somewhere, speaking. Apparently, he wanted to speak to me privately, and that whatever he wanted to say would be explained in a bit. I felt that he seemed to be almost remorseful, which really caught me off guard._ _

__Eventually, we ended up in his quarters, and he locked the door after we entered. He asked me to sit on the floor, and he did the same. Then he asked if I would explain what had happened during the mission, and how things went. I was surprised, but answered as best I could. It was as I was struggling to sign the things as I was speaking when I noticed that he was doing the same._ _

__Then, once I was finished, he wanted to know how I was feeling? Seeing my confusion at the inquiry, he began to explain. Apparently he felt like he was failing me as my master, and that he hadn't been paying enough attention. He expressed that he felt like he was neglecting my training and he hoped that he could fix this._ _

__I wasn't sure what to say, so I started to ramble. I mean, sure, he hasn't really been there. And when he was he hardly spoke to me. But then sometimes he would compliment me, and tell me that I did good, and I was happy in those few moments. Then they would drift away, and I was getting scolded for something again. And everytime, I couldn't help but feel like I failed, because that's what was drilled into me._ _

__I could feel Obi-wan wince. I looked up to meet his gaze, and he looked hurt. I ended up feeling bad, having not wanted this to hurt him. He had more than enough to deal with at this point. I decided in that moment, that I was just going to push all of this back down. Well, that was, until I had found myself in a warm hug._ _

__"Syntrian... I'm sorry that I let things get this far." I was stunned, not knowing how to react. I would have expected something like this from Shade, or maybe Jinx. But never would I have thought I would get this coming from another jedi._ _

__

__Junkpile had wanted to ask Jinx a few things yet, and all of them involved their commander. He wondered where the medic had gone, though he didn't have to look far. After their mission, it seemed that most of their squad could be found in the mess, though both Shade and Joha were missing. Sketch seemed to be fitting in well, and though Klicks seemed annoyed with him, the older clones could tell that he liked the rookie._ _

__"Hey Junk! Come on, we saved you a spot!" One of his _vode _stated. Junk went to sit, finding his seat between Vos and Sketch.___ _

____"What's that face for?" Vos asked kindly._ _ _ _

____Junk took a moment to respond. "You've all noticed it, right?" He started, getting strange looks._ _ _ _

____"What do ya mean?" Sketch asked._ _ _ _

____Junk took a moment to reply. "Kirimoto's been quiet lately, I think she's more bothered by what happened then she lets on."_ _ _ _

____"Didn't you say she seemed almost excited when you took her that gadget of yours?" Stunner asked._ _ _ _

____Junkpile only nodded, which brought Vos to answer next. "Well, we'll have to wait and see if Jinx can patch her up. After that, we'll just have to do what we can." Junk seemed to be unaffected by his brothers reassurances._ _ _ _


	37. Chapter 37

Jinx finished his exam and was looking over the results while waiting for the final few. His _jetii _had been quiet the whole time, which spiked Jinx's worry. Every time he's seen her in the medbay, she's always fidgeting and begging to be let out. Jinx wondered if maybe his _vod _was right. Maybe this was bothering her more than he thought.____

____Then a beep, signalling that the rest of the results were in. He looked them over carefully, feeling his stomach drop as he came to the realization that he would have to be the one to tell her. He pushed that off, looking over to the datapad he had prepared for general Kenobi. The elder jedi had asked the medic to find something particular that had to relate to those strange things called midichlorians. That was simple enough in itself, but the general had also asked for samples from the rest of her squad as well. Jinx found this odd, after all, as clones they weren't suppose to have them. Right? Jinx didn't know what the general was looking for, but he would let him do as he pleased._ _ _ _

____Then Jinx got back to the task at hand. He had some things he would have to go over with his commander eventually. He just wasn't sure if he was going to be able to live with her reaction. So he took a few deep breaths, trying to center himself. He did what he could to prepare for what he assumed would be some form of breakdown. Not many would react kindly to the news, not even his _vode _. He deliberately took a few seconds longer to walk over there than he needed, uncertain.___ _ _ _

______"You're broadcasting, Jinx. What did you find?" Syn... Kirimoto asked softly, as if speaking louder would upset whatever balance she had found. He moved so that she could clearly see him, making sure to sign the words as he spoke._ _ _ _ _ _

______Yet his voice was unsteady. "I'm sorry to have to tell you this sir." He began, keeping an eye on her reactions. "But from what I've been able to determine there's nothing that can be done at this point to help you regain your hearing. It seems that whatever you had heard, was enough that is both ruptured your eardrums, and cracked the bones in your ears. Unfortunately, with the way that its sitting now, we would have to tap directly into you auditory nerves, which we aren't equipped to do and I've never heard of it being done before." Jinx ended, noting how her expression had gone blank._ _ _ _ _ _

______Well, osi'kyr. He knew that look. That was the look she got when she was trying hard to bury her emotions. Syn... Kirimoto thanked him, and rushed off. Jinx, knew what needed to happen._ _ _ _ _ _

______"Captain." He stated, reaching out to Shade._ _ _ _ _ _

______The man sounded tired. "What can I do for you, Jinx?"_ _ _ _ _ _

______"Sir, would you mind checking in on our _jet'ika? _I just had to give her some particularly bad news and she rushed off. She had the look sir."___ _ _ _ _ _

________The other man sighed. "Alright. I see what I can do, thanks for the heads up." Jinx took a moment to recenter himself, figuring out his next move. He was sure, that given the proper equipment, he could help her. And yet, even if he did have what he needed, he didn't even know of a rumor for the type of device they would have to give her. It's not like just anyone could whip up something like that. The closest thing was those tiny things Junk had made._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Wait. Junkpile was great with tech. Maybe if Jinx asked him, they could come up with something. But then how would they get the materials to make it? Jinx figured they would have to ask General Kenobi for a special requisition once they figured out what they needed. Then there would be the problem with actually assembling it, which Jinx figured that they could work out later._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________With that in mind, Jinx rushed back to his desk, eager to try and come up with something that could help. He got a few strange looks from the others, but he ignored it, focusing on the task at hand. Unfortunately, Jinx was osi'kyr at designing things. So once he figured out what it needed to do, he went to find Junkpile. He figured that together, they would be able to figure it out._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Junkpile was spending his free time giving some of the astromechs a tune up. He enjoyed the task, being able to work with his hands and fix things, though there were some of the others that teased him for it. He didn't particularly care, at least the repetition was enough to get his mind off his worries._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Or well, it was, until Jinx came barging in, datapad in hand, looking for him. He let out a relaxed breath, wiping off his hands as he turned to greet his _vod _. He was surprised that Jinx had such a cheerful expression on his face, especially since Shade had made sure to inform the rest of them about what Jinx had found.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Then the medic all but shoved the datapad into his hands, giving him a moment to look it over. It looked like medical specifications, which just confused Junkpile._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________"Can you do it?" The medic asked._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________He gave him a curious glance. "Do what exactly? This looks to be more your area."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________"I need to know if you would be able to make some sort of device that can meet these specifications. I think that it might be possible to get Kirimoto's hearing back, but I would need your help." Junkpile looked them over again, this time more carefully. It didn't seem too hard, though the size constraint had him worried. He thought it over for a moment._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________"To be able to do this in the space allotted, I would need some rare materials. None of which we have on board. How do you expect to acquire them?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________The medic looked relieved. "I was hoping to take this to General Kenobi once we came up with a blueprint and we knew what we needed. I certain that he'll agree to help us. You've seen how they interact. The only other person he acts like that with is Skywalker."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Junkpile gave him a chuckle. "Alright. Say that we get what I would need. Then I'm reasonably sure that I could do it. First, though, I'd like a better idea of how they're going to look, how they'll be powered and so on." He began to walk off, towards their quarters. "Come on, Jinx. You know damn well I couldn't figure this out on my own." Jinx followed Junkpile as they made their way to their bunks. They were able to get a general idea of what they were going to be making by the time they got back._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Shade's heart was heavy by the time he managed to track down his _jetii _. He had already informed his men of what Jinx had briefed him on, which had set their whole squad on edge. Then he had run into general Kenobi, who seemed concerned, but had to rush to the bridge for something, Cody trailing behind him.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________There he stood, in front of the door to her quarters. The door was locked and he cursed himself that she had had the lock changed to match the ones at the jedi temple. Meaning that a non force user wouldn't be allowed in if she locked it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Then he heard it. The near silent sniffle. His _jetii _was crying, and doing so as softly as possible. Shade knew that this was the only way she really felt comfortable releasing emotion, but it just seemed wrong to him. Even the youngest _vode _knew they could lean on each other if they needed to. After all, it was all they had._____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Then he heard a quiet whine, and he wanted nothing more than to get in there, but the blasted door was locked, and he was no jedi. He considered getting Junk to rig up something that would let him bypass the lock, but figured that it would take too long to find him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Shade ended up resigning himself to the fact that he wouldn't be able to do osi'kyr for her this time. He placed his hand on the lock wistfully. To his surprise, it opened._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	38. Chapter 38

It wasn't until nearly a week later when they approached General Kenobi with their request. They had wanted to get the details just right, and everytime they fixed one issue, another came up. They had been lucky to not have been assigned any missions, having used almost all of their time figuring out this problem of theirs. 

So now, multiple drafts later, they stood there, in front of general Kenobi, to ask for a favor. They explained what they were after, and gave him a copy of their plans. They asked for his opinion, and for him to keep this all a secret. The two clones were hoping for this to be a surprise. The general looked as though he was considering it for a moment, reading over their plan carefully. Then he seemed to be reflecting on something. 

It was only when they began to worry that he might reject it when he answered. 

"This seems like a well thought out and impressive idea. I'll do what I can to get you what you need." He smiled, easing their tensions. "And don't worry, I'll make sure it stays secret." The two troopers had grins on their faces when the general said that. 

"Thank you sir!" Jinx stated at last. 

"It's no problem, It's good to see that you boys have an interest in helping my padawan." He shoved the datapad under his arm, his expression changed slightly. "But for now, would you mind finding Syntrian and getting her up here? I was expecting her and Shade almost an hour ago."

"We'll find them sir." Junkpile stated calmly, pleased that he's able to do something for the downcast jedi. 

It wasn't ten minutes later when they found the pair in the first place they looked. In their room, asleep on one of the bunks. Whatever had happened between the two over the past week had made them a whole lot more comfortable with each other. Then again, since the rest of the squad hadn't seen them either, they had come to the assumption that Syntrian was taking this extremely hard, and that Shade was doing everything he could to help her work through it. 

Which would normally be Kenobi's duty, as her master, but they didn't find it odd as they all knew that Shade had a massive crush on their commander. They were certain to use this as blackmail in the future to get something from their captain, and they each made sure to save multiple pictures before debating if they should wake them. 

In the end they decided to leave it up to Kenobi.

And so, that's exactly the scene that Obi-wan walked in to find. He had dropped off the datapad in his room, and though it were still relatively early in the day, there was still quiet the commotion from the majority of the ship. He had expected them to be awake by now. He wondered what he should do. Sure, they had things that needed to get done, but he didn't really want to interrupt them. He had heard that Syntrian was starting to take after his own bad habit of not sleeping. 

He sighed, deciding to wake them. He reached out with the force, coaxing Syntrian awake. He had no doubt that once she began to stir, that the captain would do the same. It took him a few minutes, but his method did begin to work. He smiled to himself.

It was almost an hour later when I caught back up with Obi-wan again. After the whole thing when we got up, he excused himself, stating that we were suppose to meet up over an hour before, but he agreed that we could meet a bit later. Shade had excused himself rather quickly, apparently needing to do something or other. I shrugged it off, assuming that it had something to do with the rumors I've caught recently. 

I found Obi-wan in one of the empty training rooms, along with Shade, who seemed to have recovered from earlier, and Stunner. I gave him a curious look, but went along with it. As the door closed, he began to explain that we were going to be training me to be able to fight without my hearing. Which I grew a tad nervous about, but allowed. 

I made sure to call Jinx to the training room with his set of specialized medical equipment that he had designed specifically for when our training would get out of hand. Obi-wan raised an eyebrow, but continued with his explanation even as Jinx cursed over the comm. I felt my trepidation worsen as he explained that I was going to have to learn to trust in the force, and that it would allow me to 'see' what was going on around me if I let it. Then he said I was going to be blindfolded and the three of them were going to attack me. 

I swallowed hard, uncertain about any of this. I'm sure Obi-wan could feel it, and I had to be projecting. He tried to explain to me that it was going to be alright, and that this was ultimately going to be helpful, so I tried to calm down a bit. I was still anxious as he stood in front of me, telling me to try to meditate as I stood there, and he would try to lead me in the right direction. 

I took a few moments to try to calm myself. Then I reached out into the force, a calm aura washing over me. I nudged me to try to open myself to what was around me, which was uncomfortable. Vall had never allowed me to do this, so I wasn't too sure how. It nudged me a bit more, giving me an idea of what to do. 

I seemed to struggle with it, but I think I was heading in the right direction. Then, the aura seemed to grow happy as I began to feel the area around me. I was surprised, now able to almost see what was around me. Then I caught a glimpse of what I felt like in the force. It was the chaos that comes with midichlorians, in which every jedi has learned to calm to some point. Yet, opposed to Obi-wan's calm, mine seemed to glitch almost. It was like the more I learned to control the force, the more static like glitches appeared. This was odd enough that I figured that I would ask Obi-wan about it later. 

Then I noted what the rest of the room felt like. It was mostly empty, but then I came across Shade, who felt like almost all of his brothers, chaotic but young, like younglings but weaker. But then there was the glitches that I felt from myself, like my own force signature was taking over his own. I pulled away from him, then finding Stunner's signature. His seemed to be similar to Shade's only a lot less. 

Then the aura I had felt, Obi-wan's, told me they were going to begin, and that I should try to keep this going as I would avoid getting hit. Then Shade came at me. I ducked, and pushed him up and over me. The next one, Stunner, came rushing at me, which I side stepped easily. Obi-wan tried to strike a few times, but he missed. Then I jumped as I was hit in the leg. I reacted instinctively, grabbing onto an arm, hitting it just right to snap it. I felt it break, and I felt badly, having not realised that I had put the force into the blow. While I was distracted, someone hit my left shoulder, and I stumbled back. I managed to grab on to the limb, again accidentally breaking it as well. 

Someone grabbed my shoulder, and tried to force their calm into me. I struggled, now on the verge of panicking as I had lost the 'sight' I had earlier. My other shoulder was grabbed, and the calm increased. Eventually, it started to get in, and I began to calm. After a few minutes, I had stilled. It was then when I found that I had been blindfolded, assumably so that I couldn't cheat during the lesson. 

Removing it, I looked around. I felt bad as I saw that I had snapped both Shade's and Stunner's right arms. Jinx looked mildly annoyed as he was working with them. Obi-wan moved me to the floor, doing his best to comfort me. I wasn't able to focus enough to read his lips, and I guess he caught this, as he turned on the holotitle device. He had a sympathetic smile, then apologized.


	39. Chapter 39

Jinx worked quickly as he set the broken bones and applied the bacta splints. He should have known this would happen when Shade mentioned that Kenobi had wanted him to help train Syntrian. He should have known and he should have told them not to. And yet, Jinx couldn't bring himself to scold the jedi, having walked in on her near panic. If anything, he should be scolding Kenobi. Their _jetii _was a warrior, much like them, and to expect her not to react like one was Kenobi's mistake.__

__Jinx had finished with his task in just a few short minutes, and had turned to see it either jedi was injured. He figured out that nothing seemed to be wrong pretty fast, and let the two of them do as they wished. Damn if Jinx was going to be the one who interrupted them. After all the _jet'ika _had bigger problems, and he figured that Kenobi would be enough for this particular instance.___ _

____ _ _

____Shade decided to watch the two of them train for a while, wondering how it was going to turn out. Getting his arm snapped was really his own fault, having had a pretty good idea that she would react like that. Still though, he found the jedi's training to be interesting, as they had never seen anything like that on Kamino._ _ _ _

____Once Syntrian seemed to have calmed down, Kenobi helped her to her feet. He watched as the general seemed to explain the exercise more thoroughly, and though he couldn't hear what was being stated, he knew he wouldn't really understand what they were talking about. He watched as they seemed to repeat the exercise from earlier._ _ _ _

____He watched as she seemed to do better, though Kenobi would ask questions about her surroundings every so often. She had answered slowly at first, but as minutes turned to hours, she started to get the hang of it. It wasn't until they broke for lunch that he moved. He hadn't noticed when Stunner and Jinx had left, nor had he noticed the time passing._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____Cody hadn't had much time in the day, but he did know that while they weren't in an active warzone, he had to remind his _jetii _to take care of himself. He knew his general well enough to know that he would often forget to eat or sleep if there were things to do, this time being training, and though Cody did the same, he would make sure that one of them was taken care of.___ _ _ _

______Which is why Cody was surprised when he met the two of them right as they were leaving the training room. He ended up joining them as they made their way to the mess, glad that his _jetii _remembered to eat if nothing else. He found himself watching the two, and he wondered why he had never seen the two side by side like this before. She was always a few steps behind, or across from him.___ _ _ _ _ _

________It wasn't until they entered the mess that Cody figured out why this bothered him so much. But when he got a clear look at them, he found it odd that at least to him, they kinda looked alike. Cody put it down to a coincidence as he ushered the jedi inside, making sure they would eat._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Stunner had gone back to the barracks after Jinx did his thing. The last thing he wanted was to be laughed at because he managed to get hurt while training. He had known that some of the others had lost to her, but somewhere in his mind, he couldn't get over the fact that it just seemed wrong._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________They were there to protect the jedi. So, to Stunner, that meant that they would be superior to them when it came to combat. He wouldn't admit it to any of his _vode _, but the fact that she was that good in a fight without her senses almost made the man scared.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Despite the fact that he had heard nothing but good things about his commander since he had returned from ARC training, He still held the doubt that she was the same, timid _jet'ika _they had met. Stunner wasn't sure if that was true anymore, and it scared him. If his commander had changed that much in a few months, then what the kriff was he doing?___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Sketch had finished his so called extra training with Klicks for the day, and had decided that he would head back to his bunk so he could find his sketchpad. He didn't mind that his _vode _insisted that he train more, as they were hoping he would turn out to be a recon specialist as to take some of the burden off of Klicks, but he did wonder how they figured he would be suited for it. Ubeh had been his first deployment, and he had been nervous enough about just making it through. So when he had a chance to sketch a few things and calm his nerves, he took it.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________He arrived, still pondering the question. Yet as he opened the door, he was surprised to see his _vod _. Stunner seemed in the middle of some form of crisis, which Sketch found odd. He had heard that he was helping with training today, as Stunner was one of the better fighters among them, so he couldn't really figure out what it was that could be bothering the man.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Sketch decided to leave him to it, and went for his pad instead._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Vos and Joha had been engaged in a rather pricey round of Sabacc, which Vos had ended up winning. He had earned not only all of Joha's small wallet, but a sizable portion of the betting pool that had been going around. The two of them had been known to be some of the games better players, so events like this weren't all that uncommon. So much so, that sometimes, they would spilt whatever they got from the pool as a prize._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Vos enjoyed spending the time with Joha, as both of them had originally come from the 212th. And though they respected their squadmates, most of them were only a few months off Kamino. They got along as well as any, but sometimes the two older clones just wanted to be by themselves. Vos knew of some of the _vode _that were like that, and it seemed to get more common the further into the war one got. They thought that it was simply their way of dealing with the almost constant waves of fresh troops.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Joha, on the other hand, would spend just as much time by himself as he would with the younger troops. Joha knew five of six different languages, mostly picked up from his time with General Kenobi, and he liked to teach them to whoever he could. So whenever he had heard Commander Syntrian speaking Mando'a, it had made him smile._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Speaking of, Joha had agreed to go see her in an hour or so. He was going to help her learn sign, which had multiple uses on and off the battlefield. After speaking to Shade, he had learned that despite the fact that she struggled with most of her lessons at the temple, Syntrian seemed to have a knack for picking up languages. He got the feeling that these lessons were going to be over quickly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Joha and Vos decided to stop in the mess, having grown a bit hungry. To their delight, they found their commander there, laughing. It was nice, and the two men smiled as they grabbed their grub. She'd been almost depressed for the past couple weeks, so this seemed to be a nice change. The ended up sitting with them, joining their conversation after a moment._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Hellfire was figuring out how to alter his weapon. He wanted to tweak it ever so slightly, so he had asked Junkpile to help. Most clones knew that Junkpile was the one to go to if you wanted something special, be it weapons or gear. But you had to know what you wanted, and the more detail you could provide, the more likely Junk would agree. After all his time was limited and there was a rumor floating about that he was going to be working on something special soon._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________That's why, when Hellfire approached him, he had a clear idea of what he wanted. His _vod _didn't refuse, instead, taking the weapon and beginning as he noted that it should only take a few minutes. Hellfire watched his brother work, it seemed to be a running thing as no one could grasp how this one single clone managed to be so knowledgeable about machines and the like. Hellfire had been impressed when Junk had whipped together those things he gave to their commander, and he wouldn't be surprised if he did similar things in the future.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________True to his word, it didn't take long for Junk to hand him back his weapon, adjustments in place. Hellfire paid him with a couple credits, as was becoming custom. Junk had his own little shop, and one that was in demand, though he never charged more than a couple credits as they really weren't supposed to have the currency to begin with. Hellfire waved goodby and went to the shooting range to test it out._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	40. Chapter 40

Obi-wan was called up to the bridge after their light meal, and though he had wanted to spend a more time training his padawan before their next mission, it would seem that the council had other plans. He frowned as the council explained where they needed him next, and at least had the presence of mind to ask how Kirimoto was doing. Apparently, they were going to go provide protection and figure out a trading agreement with a nearby world. He would be getting these supplies and hopefully, Syntrain wouldn't get into any trouble. 

Then the council asked for Syntrian's 'ghost squad', as they called it, but not her. Obi-wan found the idea distasteful, and had a feeling that they didn't really understand where they were coming from. It was about this time when his padawan, followed closely by Shade, joined him, and by then, he already saw a scowl on her face. Obi-wan had no doubt that she had caught what they had stated. 

"Ahh, Padawan Kirimoto. It's good to see you." Kit Fisto stated, his trademark smile adorning his face. Kenobi watched as she gave him a weak smile, noting that it was only Himself, Fisto, and Plo that she seemed to be nicer to. Obi-wan chalked this up to the fact that she never had a say in how Vall described her to the council. 

She gave the master a small nod. "I see you wish to use my men, without me." She confirmed. 

It was Windu that answered her, "We have a mission that we think your squad could do with ease. You however, need to stay with Obi-wan." Kenobi watched and waited, Syntrain gritting her teeth and clenching her fist. This idea seemed to piss her off. Obi-wan was curious how she would react, especially if she didn't have anything holding her back. 

So Obi-wan, being the cheeky character he is, may have sent the girl a suggestion through their bond, telling her to say whatever and he would make sure nothing happened to her. He grinned amusedly as she all but exploded on them while keeping herself calm. 

"With all due respect. That idea can fuck right off." He heard her say in Mando'a. He couldn't help the grin. "If you want my men for a mission, fine. But I have to go with them. To do otherwise would get them all killed. Besides, it wouldn't surprise me if the only reason you wanted them was so that they weren't under my control anymore, because you oh so obviously trust me to do things. And one more thing, have you ever once thought of what I think? No, why would you. I'm just the failed padawan that you all just want to get rid of." Obi-wan watched as the council was left speechless, and was certain he was going to receive a verbal bashing later. 

It was only after he tore his gaze from the hologram that he noticed that everyone else in the room was left speechless as well. It would seem that no one had expected such a thing from the normally timid padawan. 

Fisto was the first one to recover, which had given Syntrian enough time to calm down a bit. "You feel strongly about this. Would you mind explaining?" He asked calmly. 

Syntrian gave a few deep breaths before she spoke next. "You're asking for my team because you want to use their stealth abilities. Correct?"

"That is correct Padawan." Mace stated. 

"Then you will kill them by removing them from around me." She stated, beginning her explanation. "I know you won't like what I'm about to tell you, but this was bound to come up eventually. You all know of how, until now, I was the only one who could hide myself from both tech and force users. Now, it's not escaped your notice that my men have begun to display the same traits. My men have begun to display this trait, only because they spend so much time with me. My... Midichlorians have a tendency to charge other things? I'm not entirely certain. But what I do know is that when I'm around something or someone for long period of time, whatever it is will be charged in the same way I am. The more obvious examples would be my lightsaber or Captain Shade here." She stated. Obi-wan felt discomfort coming from the captain. The council seemed to dwell over this for a while, and he wasn't certain how it was going to turn out. 

Shade was surprised at what he had heard. He hadn't been expecting for Syntrian to stand up to the jedi council like that, kark, he hadn't even know she had the balls to do it. He also knew that none of the boys would believe him, or well, they wouldn't if he hadn't thought of recording it with the camera in his helmet. He wondered how much he could sell the tape for, perhaps Vos and Joha's latest winnings? 

Eventually, he was brought back to the conversation at hand, figuring out what their next mission would be. It seemed that Syntrain was silent now, and Kenobi was arguing with the council again. It seemed to be going Kenobi's way, though he could tell that the general was starting to slip. Shade found it odd that they were arguing over the actions of a single padawan. He did notice, however, that things seemed to be easier for Kenobi this time. 

It was eventually decided that Syntrian would be allowed to go with her master to his next mission, but after that, she would be sent on the mission the council wanted done. They did warn though, that she had to get this mission done quickly once she was done with the first one. Shade was intrigued, having not even known that was an option. He wondered how this was going to go, and even if any of his men had the patience for it. 

"Captain." Kenobi stated, apparently finished with his conversation with the council, "On this particular mission, we'll only be allowed a few of the men. I would suggest that you figure out the best two or three you think would be able to handle this mission."

"Do you think there'll be trouble, sir?" He asked, noting that his _jetii _seemed quiet again. Shade would venture to guess that she was probably overthinking the conversation they had.__

__The general seemed thoughtful. "I don't think there'll be much. But I do think there's a reason that we were asked for." He stated, rushing off to the training room with his padawan. Shade smirked, going to find his men to see what he could rake in for the video._ _

__

__An hour later, and they were amassing quiet the bounty. Joha had the idea to sell it to some of the 212th with the condition that they don't let it spread. And boy, were they more than willing to release their meger credits to see such a thing. Ghost squad was raking in the credits, grins on some of their faces. Once all of the rookies had paid, the started to pass the holovid around. The rookies were amazed, almost transfixed on the video. Shade chuckled as he noted the rest of Ghost squad seemed to enjoy it just as well._ _

__They continued on for a while, until Cody walked in. Cody had the slightest look of amusement, and ended up crossing the hanger in record time. Shade went to meet the commander, hopefully to convince Cody not to imeitaly shut them down._ _

__"Captain, I see your boys are making a killing. How'd you do it?"_ _

__Shade grinned. "I managed to get a holovid you may want to see." Cody was definitely curious. Shade brought him over to the group as another loop started. Cody's blank expression turned to a grin as he watched. As it ended, he reached into one of his packs, finding a few credits and tossing them into the pile. Cody thanked them before walking off, telling them they should have charged more._ _


	41. Chapter 41

We were approaching the planet, Vindussuu. Obi-wan seemed to be oddly excited, though he hasn't told me why. I got the feeling that it had something to do with the planet, but I couldn't figure out why. The planet itself seemed to be lush and green, and it looked like around half the planet was ocean. There didn't really seem to be too many large settlements, and it didn't look like they had the capability of space travel. Why are we here?

Shade came up beside me, briefly touching my shoulder to let me know he was here, Junk having asked to do a bit of maintenance on my holotitle devices after noting some problems. He seemed relaxed, though there weren't many who would be able to tell. It was then when I figured that I would have nothing to lose if I practiced what Obi-wan called force sight. 

A moment later, I noted that Shade was speaking, and I had managed to catch the end of it. He had asked something about the planet. He waited a moment, then repeated himself, this time making sure I could see his hands. He asked if I was familiar with this planet at all, and wondered what they would be doing. 

I replied that I didn't but if Obi-wan was anything to go by, he knows something I don't. He seemed amused by this, though, and let the matter drop as Obi-wan happened to walk up. He had Cody in tow, as was normal. I felt that Cody almost seemed to be elated, and I was getting something similar from Obi-wan. It was then when I noticed that they were starting to feel the same in the force. Odd, but nothing I hadn't seen before. 

Obi-wan then began to explain that we were going to be heading down to the planet soon, and that we were here as representatives of the senate. They believe that for whatever reason, we were the best ones for this job. I wish I had some idea why I would be considered for this, but whatever. 

Then he went on to explain that while we were being allowed on the planet, and they were allowing most of the men some shore leave, but we were still going to bring a couple of men with us. The ruling body of this planet was apparently afraid that they were being targeted, like their predecessors. Something about this put me on edge, something was familiar about it. It made me nervous for some reason. 

Obi-wan caught this, though he didn't say anything. He just explained that we were going to have four troopers with us, as that was all they would allow in their palace. They thought it might be a security risk. Weird, but whatever. 

Shade took a moment to ask why the two of us were chosen for this mission, obviously nowhere near the perfect choice. Obi-wan seemed to sigh, but explained. He had been here before, though it's been nearly twenty years, and he said that I was born here. So the ruling family had asked for us specifically. Huh, so this is my home planet. That must be why he seemed so happy earlier. 

Kenobi then made sure to explain that they asked that I keep a hood on as we walked through the town, stating that they were concerned that whoever was targeting them would decided to come after me as well. The fact that he offered no explanation other than the smallest of grins made me think that he knew why. Weird, but whatever. I sighed, figuring that this meant I would have to wear the heavy jedi robe I haven't so much as touched in months, but I knew it was worse than my beskar cloak. 

We assumed orbit, and an announcement went across the ship, stating that shore leave would be beginning in an hour or so, and that that everyone should ask their CO's as to when they would be allowed down on the planet. Obi-wan smirked, telling us that it seemed to be time to go, and Shade commed a couple of men to join us. 

We met up with Sketch, Joha and Junk in the hanger bay. It seemed that we were taking Sketch and Joha with us, and they would be helping me and the _vode _out on more of a security detail. Junk had only been there to return my holotitle devices, explaining that he found the issue, and it was easy enough to repair. I thanked him as I replaced them and turned it back on. He waved us off as we got on the gunship.__

__As the doors closed, Obi-wan handed me his robe, which I took begrudgingly. I got a few chuckles, as I put the damn thing on over my cloak. I was more annoyed by the heavy cloak than I was that the men were laughing at my disgruntled expressions. I was weighed down enough that I didn't think I would be able to effectively fight if I had to, and that annoyed me._ _

__The hood pulled itself up over my head, and I shot Obi-wan a sour look, knowing he was responsible. I still don't understand exactly what I'm being forced to do this, let alone why I specifically would be in danger. I suppose I was probably grumbling, as I noted a few more chuckles from the men around me._ _

__"You'll be fine, Syntrian. Do try to behave yourself." He had an amused glint in his eyes._ _

__I glared at him. "Why am I the only one who has to do this?"_ _

__"You'll see." That stupid grin was still on his face. It only served to irritate me._ _

__

__We landed a moment later, and the doors opened. We were greeted by what seemed to be a rather regal looking pair. The woman looked to be around Obi-wan's age, with red eyes and silvery-grey hair. The man had slightly darker hair, and his eyes were blue. Something about the two of them felt vaguely familiar. They seemed pleased when they saw us._ _

__"Ah, Syntrain, it's good to see you well. It's been such a long time." The woman stated. I looked at her confused._ _

__The man elbowed her. "Ricara, stop that. You know she won't remember you." He turned back to us, and we began to walk. "We welcome you to our planet, and we hope that you'll be able to help us with our little problem." We walked through what seemed to be one of the larger settlements on this planet. The buildings were more well built here than a few of them we had seen on the way here. Some of the civillains here seemed to be staring at us. I got even more strange glances than the rest of them. I wasn't sure I liked that._ _

__Eventually we reach a rather large palace. I froze a moment, images of pain and fear interlaced with the heat of flames and the smell of smoke. Where was this coming from? I... I don't know what these images are. Where did they come from?_ _

__A hand on my shoulder brought me out of it. I had to take a moment to recenter myself, but I let myself be dragged along for a moment. I felt an odd disturbance in the force. It was centered somewhere in the palace, and for some reason, Obi-wan didn't seemed to notice it. This was going to be interesting, I knew that much._ _

__Obi-wan ended up pulling me into the palace, and the disturbance seemed to grow stronger as we entered. I wondered if I could figure out what it was. Then I grew surprised, as it seemed to flow over to Obi-wan, feeling oddly happy. None of this made any sense to me. I took a few deep breaths, deciding to see if I could see anything if I were to use the force._ _

__So I did just that, and what I saw looked like a woman, ears pointed just like mine, draping herself over Obi-wan as he spoke with the royals. I just stared at them in surprise. Was this some form of force ghost? Why did it seem to like Obi-wan?_ _

__"Syntrian? Are you alright?" Kenobi asked after a moment, bringing me out of my thoughts._ _

__I stumbled over my words, uncertain. "I... um yeah. I was just... Distracted. I'm sorry, master. I'll do better." I looked off to the side, bringing my senses back to normal._ _

__Then three children rushed in, running into my legs, succeeding in knocking me over. My hood ended up falling off, and I felt all their eyes on me._ _

__"Hey! Look! She's just like us!" The youngest one stated, She looked to be around eight. Her bright blue eyes seemed to gleam excitedly._ _

__An older boy responded, "Mitake, stop that. Mum said we had to be nice to the guests." The twelve year old's deep red eyes seemed to be scolding the younger child._ _

__"Keto! Be nice to Mitake, you know she's curious about them!" This girl's bright blue eyes seemed to almost twinkle as she spoke. I got up as they introduced the kids._ _


	42. Chapter 42

The next couple of hours went by strangely. It had started with us being given a brief tour of the palace, and the queen explaining what their concerns were, as well as the fact that they were willing now to open negotiations as they were worried that the separatists were going to try and take control of their planet. I felt like something was wrong with this, though I couldn't really figure out what. 

Then we were invited to join them for lunch, and the men were surprised that they were extended this invitation as well. The queen then went on to explain that all were welcome on this planet, and they hoped that allowing our men their leave here was a step to prove this. She gave us all a couple minutes to get situated, and I would have been amused at their very clear discomfort in this situation of it wasn't for the fact that I felt the presence of that ghost again, only this time it seemed to stick to me. 

Once the food was served, the queen seemed to notice that something was off about me, but the fact that she was just out of range kept me from answering her. Shade bumped me, and I ended up looking across the table to see that Obi-wan was signing to me. He told me that the queen had asked if everything was alright, as I seemed to be acting a bit off. 

I felt a pang of remorse hit me, but began to apologise and explain. I began with the fact that I was deaf and that I had special devices that could tell me what's being said, but that she was just out of range for them. Then I went on to ask about the ghost I had been sensing since we arrived. She seemed a bit surprised, but it seemed that Obi-wan had noticed too and brought it up. 

So she launched into a story. The queen spoke of how, roughly twenty years ago, they had a different royal family who were well loved by the people. Well, all except for one man. He had wanted the throne for himself, but there was no way for him to ever get to it through marriage. So he did the next best thing, earning himself a place as a royal advisor. Then he started to plot. 

At some point, he had moved on to the second part of his plan, but by now, the queen had a three year old and a newborn, and his chances grew even slimmer. But he knew a secret, something that they wished had stayed buried. Apparently, he knew of a rumor, that questioned the legitimacy of one of their children. 

That one statement made me feel odd, and I wasn't sure why. Then I caught a brief glimpse of something coming of the jedi across from me. The queen continued. 

Apparently this plan of his ended up with him torching their home, and they had assumed that the entire family had died. Apparently it was shortly after that when strange things began to happen around the town. The cries of an infant could be heard, or a helping hand when it was needed. The villagers assumed it was the dead family. But they could never figure out what happened to the mother. Surely she was around somewhere as well. 

At her words, I felt the ghost next to me seemingly grow warmer, as if trying to introduce itself. I let myself reach out with the force, only to find that the ghost was smiling softly. If this was the previous queen I was feeling, then why was she on me? Sure I came from this planet, but that could mean anything, right?

She continued on, telling of how, eventually, once the palace was rebuilt, and my husband and I moved in, we started noticing strange things. The sad sniffles on the upper floor, or a door or two opening randomly. But nothing really happened, not at first. When our first child was born, Erwin got a weird feeling, like the ghost was watching over the baby. If Keto was in trouble, then he would be protected. And if he needed something, it was provided for him even if we hadn't known about it. 

When Mitake and Cintrace were born, we noticed the same things happening. We figured that it was the ghost, though we couldn't quite figure out who it was. She paused, and I took a quick look around, noting that everyone had finished and were just as engrossed in the story as I was. 

Then the king spoke up. We eventually came to the conclusion that our ghost was the previous queen and she was watching over our little ones because she couldn't do the same for hers. Alright. So the ghost is in fact the queen. But that doesn't explain why she likes me or Obi-wan so much. 

Shade spoke up next, surprisingly. "If I may, sirs..." He asked awkwardly. "I've noticed that your children and Syntrain are the only ones here with pointed ears. Assuming that's something to do with the royals, then wouldn't that make my commander one as well?" 

"Very perceptive, captain." Obi-wan stated, giving off the impression that he seemed impressed. 

The queen spoke up next, stating her own inquiry. Apparently she was curious about my eyes, as every person on this planet either had blue or red eyes, and they never mixed. By now my head was spinning with questions. I wanted to know more about who this man was that tried to kill me, and I wanted to know more about what was going on here. I only have a few brief memories from way back then, and they mostly started when Obi-wan found me. I would say I'm just confused, mostly, and curious. 

I tried to get my thoughts straight, and I could feel several gazes on me. I pushed that away, I had to sort through some stuff first. So I'm the last remaining person in what was the previous ruling family, and someone had tried to kill me when I was really young. Alright, seems reasonable considering everything. But then they say that no one else on the entire planet has eyes like mine, and there's that rumor... Does that mean that my parents aren't both my parents?

Someone nudged me. It was Shade again, but he had a warm smile on his face. 

"Hey, kid. You're doing that thing again where you trap yourself in your head, aren't you." He stated quietly. I took a few moments to fully come back to the present, and I found myself growing mildly embarrassed that I had to be pulled from my own head again. He just put a comforting hand on my shoulder and told me not to worry about it.

After we departed from the dining area, Obi-wan set my men and I to marking out potential weak points. Though I did enjoy the trust he put in us, it was frustrating walking past my master having a nice chat sipping tea with his commander. I would glare at the two whenever I would pass, Shade on my tail. Sketch and Joha were off somewhere on the other side of the building, doing their sweeps. 

Obi-wan would occasionally throw me a warm smile, and state that I was much better at these things than him, so he and Cody were just going to go over a few things. It annoyed me, not because he was right, but because I got the feeling there was some other reason for their chat than they were letting on.

I decided that we had probably mapped out the place pretty good, and so called the men together so we could go over what we found. I got the feeling of being watched, which was a problem. I was waiting for the others, so I decided to see if I could figure out why. I took but a moment to focus, and spread out my awareness. There was nothing that I could see, though admittedly my range wasn't too good. I turned to look, perhaps they're just further away?

I searched the surrounding area as best I could, but nothing stood out. Damnit. I'm growing frustrated and it's messing with my ability to search properly. I tried reaching out with the force once more, simply scanning for something that shouldn't be there. And there was nothing. But the feeling was still there. Someone was definitely watching, so why can't I find them?


	43. Chapter 43

Shade was growing worried, it was almost midday now and he hadn't seen Syntrian since the previous night. He knew his commander, and while she did enjoy sleeping in, she was always up bright and early when she was on a mission. He wondered if something could have happened, remembering how she seemed to be tense last night. Shade knew that posture, he had seen it quite a bit. She felt watched, and didn't know why. 

So Shade started to do the one thing he could do, which was solve the mystery. He managed to catch Sketch and drag him along, noting that Joha and Cody would just have to deal without them for a bit. Sket'ika was seemingly confused, as he assumed the _jetii _was fine. He would have lectured the man, if it wasn't for the nagging feeling he was getting.__

__They got to Syntrian's room rather easily, though room was an understatement. This single room was larger than some of the shuttles they've traveled on. Shade couldn't comprehend why someone would want so much space for a single person to sleep in. He paused just a moment, noting that it was quiet. Either his _jetii _was still asleep, which he found odd but believable. Or she was gone, which is what he feared.___ _

____He all but threw the door open, and his breath hitched in his throat. The room was a mess, and the window was wide open._ _ _ _

____"Sketch. Go get the general. We have a big problem." The man gave little in the way of acknowledgement, but went on his way. Shade went further in the room, attempting to figure out what had happened. Things seemed to be thrown around, it was much to erratic to be the normal mess he's come to expect from her. So this either happened before she went to bed or early this morning. Judging by the way the bed was still made, he would guess last night._ _ _ _

____He could hear footsteps approaching as he went to check in the attached 'fresher. To his dismay, he found her lightsaber, alongside her holotitle devices. If these were here, than she was ambushed. Shade guessed that she was probably getting cleaned up, which is why she took them off, seeing as the little holograms weren't waterproof. It had to be an ambush, as unlike a certain general, there was no other reason for her lightsaber to be here._ _ _ _

____"Shade? What's the problem?" Kenobi stated. The captain clipped the weapon to his belt, and made sure to put the devices into the small pouch right beside it._ _ _ _

____"Sir, I believe we have a problem." He began. "I think Syntrian's been kidnapped."_ _ _ _

____Kenobi looked rather disturbed at the idea. "How so? I know her abilities, and she's not one to lose in a fight. Especially judging by the state of the room, she had plenty of chances."_ _ _ _

____Shade took a deep breath, carefully making sure his voice didn't betray him. "Whatever or whoever got her, seemed to be here at some point last night. Judging by how she left her things here, it was probably as she was getting ready for bed. I found her lightsaber, and her holotitle devices. She only takes them off when she's sleeping or there's water around."_ _ _ _

____"This is disturbing. Whoever has her must be a skilled combatant to be able to best her."_ _ _ _

____"Sir?" Sketch piped up, confused. "What do you mean?"_ _ _ _

____Kenobi laughed, catching them all off guard. "I forget that you haven't been around quiet as long as the others. But if you would like to know, Syntrian never limited herself to one discipline, and as she wasn't really taught about the force I can only assume that she spent most of her time training. From the few spars I've had with her, she's at least average in skill in the seven lightsaber techniques and I believe she knows a couple forms of hand to hand. So either her opponent was better than her, of displayed enough tricks to catch her up." Sketch was looking at the jedi in shock, and even Shade was surprised. He had known that she didn't seem to have a single set fighting style, but from his limited knowledge, most jedi were only ever proficient in one or maybe two forms._ _ _ _

____"The main problem now is finding her. We can't just forget about our mission, and we can't really afford the resources to go look for her." Cody stated, obviously annoyed at the situation. Sometimes, Shade forgot that Cody was also her friend. "It would be easier if she had her tracker on her."_ _ _ _

____Kenobi gave him a questioning glance, prompting Cody to continue. "We had Junk add a tracker to those little devices he made before we left. She tends to get into trouble a lot so it seemed reasonable." That gave Shade an idea._ _ _ _

____"I think we still can..." He stated. "She has a habit whenever she's on a mission. She refuses to be caught off guard, and though we've teased her about it, she still sleeps nearly in her full gear. Even if she lost her armor somehow, we might be able to get something from her prosthetics. We had Junk hide a few scraps of beskar in there while he was looking them over."_ _ _ _

____Kenobi seemed concerned. "So, let me get this straight. You not only put a tracker on her, but also came up with a backup plan incase that failed?"_ _ _ _

____"Sir, with all due respect, the boy's and I know how you get." Cody chimed in. "Shade just wanted to make sure our _jet'ika _stays in one piece, especially since she's taking after you."___ _ _ _

______Shade chuckled. "Cody, you're mistaken about one thing. She's not taking after him. She actually has less self preservation than Kenobi. I had to save her from being blown up when she went to study a ticking time bomb."_ _ _ _ _ _

______"Thats... Actually impressive." Cody stated bluntly. "Here I thought I had to deal with the worst jedi in the order when it came to that."_ _ _ _ _ _

______"Hey!" Kenobi protested, causing the men to chuckle. "If you boys are done teasing me, I believe we have a padawan to find."_ _ _ _ _ _

______"Shade." Cody stated. "I think we can spare you, if you want to go look for her, but we'll need your men here to guard the royals." Shade nodded, relieved. He thanked them before leaving the room, deciding to contact Junkpile before he began. The man should be able to help him, even if it's just to help scan._ _ _ _ _ _

______"Hey, Junk." He began._ _ _ _ _ _

______"Don't tell me you've managed to lose her already." The voice stated, annoyed._ _ _ _ _ _

______Shade chuckled nervously. "Sorry Junk. But that's the reason we made it easier to track her, remember?"_ _ _ _ _ _

______"Alright. Just tell me how long ago she vanished."_ _ _ _ _ _

______"We think last night, and they're probably on foot. The locals don't seem to have speeders, and a ship would have made too much noise."_ _ _ _ _ _

______"Give me a couple minutes, I'll get back to you." Shade sighed as one of the servants walked pass, bringing what looked to be water glasses. He took one, taking a big sip, only to nearly choke in surprise. That drink was stronger than most of the alcohol he had access to._ _ _ _ _ _

______Kenobi laughed as he exited the trashed room. "Did I forget to mention that? These people drink like no tomorrow, and this alcohol happens to be their version of water. You'll get use to it... Probably." He walked off, sipping on his own cup. How the general was already used to such a strong drink was beyond him._ _ _ _ _ _


	44. Chapter 44

Shade had sprinted to the coordinates he had been given thinking that whoever had his _Jetii _was going to pay. He would promise that much. He was willing to bet that the rest of Ghost squad would be the same if they were here, but they aren't. So it was up to him, again. A pattern was starting to emerge.__

__The captain came up to what looked to be a run-down house. Judging from the sounds coming from inside, it wasn't completely abandoned. He took a moment to catch his breath before busting down the door. It sounded like someone was in pain, and it wasn't the jedi. The trooper smirked as he found a staircase down towards the sounds._ _

__He was almost to the bottom when he heard her scream. It hurt his heart to hear it, and in that moment, he knew that he had fallen for her. Yet he had to shut those feelings away. He had work to do._ _

__There was a door at the bottom. He figured that he could probably break it down if he tried hard enough, but then he remembered the lightsaber on his belt. Shade only took a moment to consider his options, and figured that it would be easier to cut the lock than to break it. He did the whole motion in a few seconds._ _

__The door creaked open, and the captain looked inside. His heart nearly stopped as he saw the terrified look in her eyes. It wasn't like anything he had seen in her before, and it took him a moment to notice that she was yelling at him. Telling him to run, to warn the others. She was raging against the chains that held her to the wall, the terror in her eyes growing as someone came up to her, attaching something to the back of her neck. Shade made certain that he got a picture of the persons face, then fled from the house as a scream was heard behind him._ _

__

__Junkpile was walking past the communications officers on the bridge just as the holo flared to life. It was general Windu, and he had a datapad in his hand. He stopped and decided to see what this was about, afterall, he didn't have anything pressing that needed done._ _

__"Trooper, I have a question about your latest supply request."_ _

__"Of course, sir." The trooper stated. "What are you confused about?"_ _

__The jedi looked curious. "Most of this is normal, but there seemed to be a few items on here that are far from the norm. I simply wish to know why." The holo changed, bringing up the list. Junkpile recognised it as the list he had asked Kenobi for. Junkpile decided to save the the poor, confused man by stepping in._ _

__"I believe I can answer that, sir." The man's attention was on him now. "It was an addition that myself and our team's medic asked General Kenobi to acquire for a little project we wanted to do."_ _

__He looked curious. "What is this 'project' of yours?"_ _

__"Sir." Junkpile began. "We noticed that _cuun jetii _seemed to be upset over the recent loss of her hearing, and though she seems to be doing better, the rest of us can see that it's still bothering her. Our team medic Jinx, and I were hoping to get her hearing back for her. Jinx is one of the best medics I have ever seen, and I happen to be quiet good at creating things. So we came up with the plans and what we would need, and asked General Kenobi to help us out." Junkpile started to grow nervous as the the jedi began to think it over.___ _

____He shifted nervously, waiting. Junkpile wondered if this wasn't the way General Windu punished his troops._ _ _ _

____Then the Jedi spoke, "I'll allow it, on one condition."_ _ _ _

____Junkpile was more than relieved. "Anything, sir."_ _ _ _

____"If you are as good as you say you are, then this should be simple for you."_ _ _ _

____ _ _

____Shade wasn't sure what was going on. One minute, he was being told to run, the next, he was fighting for his life and he wasn't sure why. Had he more time to think, he would have seen the little device slowly burrowing into her neck, or perhaps he would have felt her trying to reach out using the force._ _ _ _

____But Shade had his hands full. His _jetii _was attacking him, seemingly trying to kill him. She said nothing, and made no sound, even after he had managed to grab her left arm and break it in an attempt to at least slow her. When that failed, he resorted to turning on his comm, hoping that Sketch or Joha would pick up and figure out what it meant.___ _ _ _

______Shade turned to see where Syntrian was, only to earn a cut to his right cheek. He cursed himself for losing his helmet, and ducked as she flew right over him. She got up quickly and he bolted. He didn't stand a chance against her, he knew this from experience. His only chance was to regroup with the others before he was caught._ _ _ _ _ _

______He was getting many strange glances as he sprinted through the town, and was starting to wish he hadn't dropped his pistols when he was first knocked down. Then he was face down in the dirt again, another body on top on him. He couldn't defend himself like this, he had to either get her off or get turned over. Shade felt it as something dug into his shoulder, and a trickle of something warm begin to drip into the dirt._ _ _ _ _ _

______Just as he was about to try to break free, he felt something wet hit him, and turning the little bit he could, he saw the source. Though her expression was neutral, she was crying. In that moment, he felt relieved. She was still in there. He could still help._ _ _ _ _ _

______He managed to wiggle free, and proceeded to kick her as hard as he could in the stomach. He didn't like it, but if he wanted to save her, then it had to be done. He took the few free seconds he had before she recovered to start running to the now visible palace. Good, maybe he could get some help._ _ _ _ _ _

______His hope was dashed mere feet from the door as she crashed into him. He landed hard against the stone wall, feeling something crack. He winced, but tried to get her off. Then he saw a small blade, coming for his neck. He thought quickly, and though there was a better option, he moved just enough so that he took the blow to his face instead. His actions meant that he got to keep his neck, but now had a deep cut running from his chin up to his lip._ _ _ _ _ _

______Shade went to get up, only for pain to explode through his body. Not only had the blade been lodged deep into his shoulder, making it difficult to move, but he had at least a broken bone or two. Based off what he could see of her, she had a couple of her own as well. Shade could only watch as Syntrian's blade came for him again._ _ _ _ _ _

______Then she was on the ground, and there was shouting. He allowed himself to relax, knowing that he was finally safe again._ _ _ _ _ _

______"Shade! What happened?" Shade thought it was Cody who asked, but the pain was making it hard to concentrate._ _ _ _ _ _

______"I... I tracked her to an abandoned looking home on the far side of town." He winced, blood dripping to his chestplate and starting to pool on the ground. "She was chained up, and seemed terrified. She told me to run. I saw them put something on her."_ _ _ _ _ _

______"That would explain this thing in her neck." Sketch stated. It only served to concern them._ _ _ _ _ _

______"I... I ran. Right as I left the building I was knocked down, and I lost my helmet and pistols." He winced again, and he thought he heard someone calling for a transport. "It was like she was hunting me. I don't know why. I was lucky to make it back here at all." Shade was pretty sure he saw Kenobi kneeling down in front of him, but he wasn't sure. Shade wasn't really sure of anything at the moment._ _ _ _ _ _

______Then he was pricked with a hypo and he embraced the sweet relief of unconsciousness._ _ _ _ _ _


	45. Chapter 45

Jinx didn't know what he was looking at. After he had gotten Shade into a bacta tank, the medic had prepared himself to figure out what made his commander act like that. He certainly wasn't expecting to find some sort of antenna like device sticking out from her neck. And he certainly wasn't expecting to see it dig deeper into her. 

He decided to get it out and send it over to Junk. Then he could at least make sure Syntrian was safe first. He was glad that Helix was still aboard, though they were the only medics currently on the ship. The rest had gone on shore leave, and they deserved it, but someone had to watch the ship. 

Helix was just as confused as he was, but that wasn't going to stop the younger medic. This time he was going to make certain he saved her. Jinx went to go get their assistant medical droid to help them out, they would need it seeing as whatever it was seemed to be getting closer and closer to her spinal cord. 

By the time he returned with the droid, Helix had finished prepping, and had the scanner running so that they could see what they were working with. It only took the machine a few moments to finish. 

"That's new."

"What I want to know is who put it there." Neither spoke for a moment until the device went a bit deeper. They watched as it started to intertwine itself with her body. 

"We have to get this thing out. Now." They looked at each other with determined expressions and began, hoping they weren't too late. 

I sat up quickly, briefly wondering how I got here. I found that my neck hurt, and my arm was in a sling. Then it all came back to me. I had been captured, and was made to attack Shade. I felt guilt burning through my body. If only I was stronger, I wouldn't have gotten caught. If I was stronger then Shade wouldn't have gotten hurt. I wouldn't have almost killed him. I should have been stronger. Then I would have been able to take that base out before it affected my hearing. I could have heard them coming. It's all my fault. 

I looked up from my sorrow to see if I could find Shade. It only took a moment, and it only served to deepen my guilt. He was floating in a bacta tank, which let me get a good look at all of his injuries. Besides the two deep knife wounds I had given him, both of which were starting to scar, he had a variety of cuts, bruises, and even a couple broken bones. I found myself transfixed, knowing that it was my fault. 

Then a hand landed on my shoulder. It was Jinx. He seemed to be saying something, but I wasn't paying enough attention to figure out what. I felt him sigh before going to rummage around for something. He was back a moment later, holding out his hand. I hesitated a moment, wondering if I really even deserved these devices. 

He made the choice for me, skipping right past my hand and just putting them on for me while keeping a sour expression on his face. It made me think he was mad at me too. It wouldn't surprise me if Shade was, or Obi-wan. He finished after a moment and came to look me in the eyes. 

"Kid. I know you probably feel pretty guilty right now. But you should be aware that none of us blame you. I'm sure you did what you could."

"I wasn't good enough." I interrupted. " I wasn't good enough, and I got captured. I wasn't good enough, so Shade got hurt. He's my closest friend, and I nearly killed him." The medic was quiet for a moment, thinking. 

"I understand, more than you probably think. As a medic, I find it difficult not to fall into those same thoughts every time I lose someone. And there was a time when I did. Then I realised something. As long as I did my absolute best to save those around me, then I had nothing to feel guilty about. Because all you can hope for, is that you did your best." His expression had softened, and the hard tone in his voice had cracked away. 

I wasn't sure if I could take those words to heart right now, so I simply nodded. He sighed again, and turned to Shade. 

"It'll take him a few days to heal properly, but he'll be fine. I was able to get to him quick enough, and since he still had the knife lodged in his shoulder he didn't bleed out." I was glad that he was going to be alright, but it still hurt. 

Then his comm went off, alerting him to whatever problem happened to be coming up. A moment later he turned to me. 

"It would seem that we've run into a problem and they need you on the bridge." He paused for a moment, grabbing my lightsaber for me. "Just don't do anything that'll hurt you more." He was definitely annoyed, but I was the only person on the ship at the moment who could make important decisions. Whatever was going on must be big for the bridge crew to anger a medic like this. 

When I got there, it was obvious as to what the cause was. There seemed to be a battleship closing in, and it was definitely ready for a fight. We were not. We have just slightly more than a skeleton crew aboard, and there was no telling how strong they are. Shit. This isn't going to go well. 

"Sir! What should we do?" Someone nearby asked. And just like that, I felt every single pair of eyes on me. I tried to calm down enough to focus, just enough to speak.

I'm not certain my voice came out as steady as I wanted, "Lieutenant. How many men are still aboard?"

"Other than the crew, I believe we have a couple dozen. Most everyone wanted to take their leave down on the planet." A few dozen? Alright, so a more reasonable amount. I was able to calm a little, though my nerves were still prevalent. 

"What do we have on that other ship?"

"Not much Sir. They've made no attempt at communication and we can't seem to find a registration." I thought for a moment, trying to figure it out. The force was calling out in warning. They wanted to attack us then? But why? We have nothing here they could want. Unless.... Resad's still aboard, isn't he? Are they here for him? 

"Sir?" He stated more urgently. No. No, I can't do this. What if I'm wrong. If I'm wrong I'll get them all killed. I shouldn't risk that, should I? I stopped dead in my tracks when words started appearing on my holotitle devices. By the color, it seemed that it was coming through on their helmets channel. It looked to be from Vos, who was trying to encourage me. I got a couple more from my other men. But the one that stood out was from Stunner. If he was encouraging me, then maybe I could?

I took but a moment more to steady myself. "Have all available men create a perimeter around the cell block. I get the feeling they're after one of the prisoners. Send word to any of Ghost Squad that are still aboard and have them meet me in cellblock 2-B. Meanwhile, do what you can to keep them from boarding."

"You think they're after the prisoner you captured?" He stated, obviously unsettled that he was questioning an order. It chipped away at me, but that was for another time.

"I do." I stated, attempting to shake the last of the nerves away, "But I would prefer that we keep them off all together. Master Obi-wan would be quiet cranky of he came back to see his ship full of holes." I joked awkwardly. I turned and stalked off the bridge, my goal now in sight. 

I didn't make it far before the alarms were blaring and the ship began to shake. I stopped a moment, wondering what exactly had happened. I was lucky that one of my men made sure to fill me in. It seemed that the other ship had begun firing on us, and seemed to be sending boarding craft out. 

I began running towards the cell block, knowing it was all I could do at the moment.


	46. Chapter 46

By the time I reacted the cell block, there were already boarding ships in our hull, and I was getting calls to hurry. Apparently, out of all of my men, not counting Jinx or Shade, I had three aboard. Vos, Stunner, and Junk seemed to be having a difficult time holding back whoever it was and they reported that though most of the men seemed to be unconscious, none were dead. So whoever it was seemed to be taking great pains as they moved through the ship. 

I knew I needed to hurry, if these attackers were skilled enough to be taking down the men without killing them, then it would only take them a few extra seconds to get through mine. Hopefully my presence will be a good enough of a deterrent, because I'm not too sure how well I can fight with just one arm. And besides that, I seemed to be missing my blasters. 

I rounded the corner, and was greeted by the view of the three of them trying to subdue one besalisk. Ahh, that made more sense, though I did wonder where the large man came from. For the size of the boarding craft he would have had a cramped ride, and if he was going to be taking someone with him? Impossible. Were they planning on stealing an escape pod or a shuttle? 

"Commander!" One of them shouted. It was Vos, who was then thrown into the nearest wall. The impact was hard, and I felt pain coming from him. That definitely broke something. I rushed in, hoping this wasn't a mistake. Before I managed to get there, there was a bang, and something hit the shoulder of my broken arm. It burned, but differently than how a lightsaber would. My free hand went to the wound, only to come away wet. I was bleeding? 

I tried to find the source, and managed to catch a glimpse of a blaster that I didn't recognise. It was strange, but looked as though it could be a prototype or something? The besalisk then punted Stunner almost directly into Vos, and both men groaned in pain. In the following seconds, Junk was thrown, and crashed into me. That only served to agitate my broken bones. I almost certainly cried out.

Once I got back to my senses, I was able to catch Resad running off, the besalisk behind him. He shouted something, but I was too far away to catch it. I reached out and grabbed the four armed man with the force, just barley having enough concentration to hold him off the ground. 

I tossed the large, four armed attacker into the now empty cell, and Junk ran to close the door. He was angry, that much was obvious by how he was all but throwing himself against the door. A quick glance told that the weapon was nowhere to be seen. Resad must have grabbed it when he ran. 

"Sir! We should really get you to medbay. You're bleeding and it could take Jinx a few minutes to work out how to fix this." It was Vos, who ended up kneeled in front of me at some point. He seemed to be holding off his own pain, wincing everytime he moved wrong and cradling what was most likely a broken arm. 

I let them help me up, the pain of my broken bones spiking as they were jostled. Resad may be lost, but we did manage to get one of his accomplices. Obi-wan won't be too mad, right? 

Our rather beat up group entered the medbay, and got the reaction I had expected from Jinx. It started with surprise, and ended in him scolding me while he tried to figure out what had hit me. Someone mentioned that Hellfire might know, being the resident expert on weapons, but they would have to find him first.

I took a moment to look around the room as Jinx asked Helix to contact Hellfire before helping him. The act earned me a surprise, as I hadn't expected Shade to be out of the bacta tank quiet yet.

"Our Captain should be up and about in a few hours, but the both of you need to take it easy for a couple days. Now, Hellfire should be arriving within the hour. Lets get this bleeding stopped and check on your arm." Jinx stated calmly. He worked for a few minutes, getting the bleeding to stop.

The whole time, I couldn't help but wonder if this was the right course. Sure, no one ended up dying, but that could have easily have been different. We could all be dead right now, and the only reason we weren't is because of someone's whim. 

I wasn't sure how long passed before the door whoosed open, and pulled me from my thoughts. In walked Hellfire, who seemed equal parts excited and disturbed. He ended up coming straight over to us, and began asking some questions. Jinx was able to answer a few, the ones related to treatment, and it seemed that Hellfire had gotten some idea but needed more information. So he turned to me. 

"Did you happen to get a look at it? It would help out a lot, and if it's what I think it might be, then we'll have more than one problem on our hands." I nodded, finally feeling like I could do something useful today. I thought for a moment, wondering how to describe it. I didn't know enough to attempt to use the correct terms, and I doubted that I would just be able to show them like I could with Obi-wan. 

Then I had an idea. I looked around, seeing an old fashioned pencil and some, what was it called, paper? I hoped Helix wouldn't mind, as it was his stuff. The medic had a fascination with how hospitals functioned in the distant past, though he hid it a bit too well. I let my eyes close, and the force guided me as I let it bring out the image in my head. It only took a minute or two, and apparently the force seemed to be good at art. Hellfire took the page and looked it over, mumbling to himself every so often. 

"It seems like an old slugthrower, though I thought they hadn't been in use since that war you jedi had with the Mandalorians." 

"A slugthrower? Old, but there are still mentions of how to treat the injuries caused by them. Thanks, _vod _." Jinx went over to his desk, and seemed to type away for a minute or two. It would seem he's figuring out what to do next.__

__Hellfire was gone by the time Jinx came back over, and by then, I was back to blaming myself._ _

__

__A few hours passed before Obi-wan contacted us. He was hoping for an update, which I ended up getting called up to give him. I felt a bit of unease as I faced him, knowing that he could probably sense these feelings as well._ _

__"Ah, Syntrian. It's good to see you're alright."_ _

__"Thank you, master." I paused, uncertain. "Unfortunately, it seems that Resad's managed to escape. While no one seemed to be seriously hurt, it appeared that he managed to take advantage of our small number. We did, however, manage to capture one of his accomplices. He's currently being held in the cell block."_ _

__He seemed to be mulling it over, and I was starting to get a few scattered things coming through. "I assume that whoever it was that boarded was the same one who managed to injure you. Which means that they could still give us something. Resad has been playing us for a while now, and while it's a setback that he managed to escape, we may have gotten a piece that can help."_ _

__I ended up relaxing a bit, and he gave me a rather fond look. "After you and Shade were taken back up to the ship, we went back to the abandoned house he pointed out to see if we couldn't retrieve his helmet and pistols. While Cody and I were getting them, Sketch went in and seemed to explore a bit. He didn't manage to find anyone, but he did find another one of their experiments. We think that they lost it in their haste to escape. Hopefully, Junk will be able to make sense of it quickly. We were also thanked by the royals, and they want to reward you and your captain. Apparently, they feel like you've done them a great service, and feel badly that it turned out like this. I was told that they believe the men that captured you were the main force, so they think that they'll be safe for a while now. I think we'll stay a while yet, just to make sure, but after the ceremony tomorrow, you should head off with your men to you next mission."_ _

__I only nodded, unsure of how to take this. They felt bad for me? I'm the one that should be feeling sorry. It was my own damn fault anyway. I started walking towards my room, having reports to fill out, but I kept thinking all the way there. My mood was only getting worse because of it._ _


	47. Chapter 47

The next day began with Jinx dragging me down to the medbay, apparently not taking any chances in me skipping it. Since Shade was already there, I assume that Helix had dragged him in a few minutes ago. I was more annoyed, as Jinx had woken me up to bring me here, and I was still tired. 

I wasn't too sure how I felt around Shade at the moment. He may be my best friend, but I still feel guilty over what happened. I felt bad about it, but I did what I could to avoid him for the moment. If I wanted to lie to myself, I would simply state that I needed time to work through things. But I wasn't nearly that rational. And I sure can't work through what emotions I have. Especially since I've been getting more and more from my team. I wasn't sure if it was the amount of time we spent together or simply a side effect of how my midichlorians seem to like them, more so than they ever did with anyone else.

Shades are the hardest to sort through, mostly because he was feeling things that I don't recognise. It's a stark difference from what I get from Junk, that man seems to have very little in that department. Sketch and Hellfire seemed to focus theirs on their hobbies, and Jinx on his work. Joha and Vos were usually pretty calm, though they sometimes spike up a bit when they're alone together. Klicks was another odd one. I had a hard time reading him, which makes me think that he's managed to learn to shield his mind. I do wonder where he learned that though. 

Someone shook me, and I was pulled from my thoughts. It was Jinx, who was somewhere between annoyed and concerned. I noticed he was speaking, so I tried to focus on what he was saying. I think he said something about my arm? But I wasn't sure, still being half asleep. Shade was probably laughing about now. He knows how I am. Wait, now that I think about it, I never grabbed my... uhhh... things. The.... um, hologram things. Blast, I'm far too tired for this. 

It took them a moment before Jinx started to move his hands, and a few moments before I recognized that he was using sign. I was pretty sure I squeaked out something close to 'huh', and he seemed to begin again. Jinx explained that it seemed like my arm was healing nicely, and that it should be back to normal by tomorrow. He then went on to explain, if only to try and ease my mind, that Shade's injuries should be better by the end of the day. 

He seemed to get distracted for a moment, and faltered in the middle of his sentence. He walked over to his desk, and seemed to be talking to someone. I couldn't be bothered to figure out what he was saying. He spoke for a few moments more, then came back over to me. Jinx quickly explained that Kenobi had returned to the ship briefly so that he could make certain that Shade and I arrived on time, and that he would be around in a couple minutes. 

Obi-wan had been on his ship for less than ten minutes. And in that time, he had nearly tripped over a modified mouse droid, been pranked by Waxer and Boil, and arrived at the medbay to see his rather exhausted looking padawan attempting to figure out what people were saying. Syntrian was exhausted, and he could feel almost overwhelming guilt hiding beneath the surface. He just wasn't sure why. 

He looked over to her captain, and found that, oddly enough, he also felt guilty. Yet Obi-wan had a pretty good idea why. He scoffed at the idea. How his padawan hadn't noticed how far the man had fallen for her is a mystery. So it was no surprise to Obi-wan that the captain felt bad for hurting her. He wondered how the captain was going to handle it, and Obi-wan secretly hoped it would work out for them. He certainly wouldn't stop them if they wanted to, force knows he never stopped Anakin. 

But this was all a matter for another time. Right now, he needed to collect these two and get back down to the planet. They had things to do today before they left for their next mission. Obi-wan would handle the now open negotiations that were to take place in the afternoon, though he doubted that their problems were over. He also wondered why they were being rewarded so easily, but figured that these people just happened to be more generous with their guests or something similar. He knew enough to know that many societies had their own oddities. 

As soon as Jinx finished with them, he went over to join Syntrian, who seemed to be avoiding looking over at Shade. This didn't go unnoticed by the man either, and he seemed genuinely confused. He took an extra moment to get his padawan's attention, having figured she didn't have her subtitles on her today. 

Her deep purple eyes looked so sad for no more than a moment, then it was all hidden away again. 

"Yes, master?" She asked with a yawn. 

Obi-wan made certain to sign as he spoke, "It's time for us to head back down to the planet. They've set up a little bit of a ceremony for us in about an hour. If you'd like, We can stop by your quarters before we leave so you can grab your Holotitle devices." She nodded to him, apparently having understood him well enough. She got up and began the trip back to her room. 

It was then that Shade came up to him, Jinx on his tail.

"Sir!" Shade began. "Do you happen to know why the Commander seems to be avoiding me?"

"No," Obi-wan mused, "Though I do feel that she's trapped herself in guilt."

Jinx sighed, "She told me that she feels like if she was stronger than this wouldn't have happened. I had Junk examine the thing that was on her neck. Apparently it can control a person's body. But from what he told me, you can't control someone's mind without something more sophisticated and specialized." They took a few moments to think that bit of information over, and Shade was the first one to speak. Though in that moment, the two of them felt just a bit off. 

"If that's true... _Shit. I have to find her before she covinces herself that she's the one who was wrong." _He cursed, switching languages part of the way through.__

__Jinx looked at his brother sympathetically. " _Good luck, I think she already has. _" Obi-wan smiled at the two, he found it admirable that the clones had their own little culture and even adopted Mando'a from Jango. And it amused him whenever he would catch bits of what they were saying.___ _

____ _ _

____Once they got back down to the planet, things began to go a bit smoother. The pilot had put them down just outside the palace, and they were greeted by the queen, who gestured for them to follow her. Obi-wan was receiving many warnings from the force, and by the look of it, Syntrian wasn't too far in her head and noticed them too. Something was brewing here, and by the looks of it, it would happen soon._ _ _ _

____The queen lead them to a stage like area, though it was little more than a hastily assembled platform. The three of them were told to line up next to the others, and Obi-wan smiled when he noticed Cody waving him over. They were able to speak for a few brief seconds before the queen began._ _ _ _

____"Today we gather to celebrate these fine people. They came here to negotiate with us, and yet they have gone far beyond that. The Jedi and their troopers have uncovered a plot to assassinate us." Obi-wan felt the warnings grow, and he noted Syntrian growing stiffer. It didn't escape his notice that she was scanning the crowd that had gathered, looking for the would be assassin. "For their service, we have decided that not only shall these fine people be rewarded, but My husband and I have decided to join their Republic." The queen paused and ushered to a servant._ _ _ _

____The young looking girl ran up to stand before both himself and Syntrian. "Ever since the unfortunate end of the Kirimoto family, the partner gems have long been separated. And so, we would like to present the father gem to you. Jedi Padawan Syntrian Kirimoto; and you, Jedi Master Obi-wan Kenobi." Obi-wan made certain to thank them properly, and he was going to motion Syntrian to do the same, only to notice that her eyes were glued on the small, ornate box the servant was holding._ _ _ _

____The Queen came over, and passed the box to his padawan, and in that moment, the warnings flared. A single, loud bang was heard, and before he could even move, he saw his padawan on the ground, just barely hanging on to consciousness._ _ _ _


	48. Chapter 48

I didn't know what happened exactly. One moment, I'm being called by a rock, the next, I had my lightsaber ignited, and I was stepping in front of the queen. Then I felt something hit my saber, and pain burned in my chest. My eyes went wide, and I knew they were back. By the time I hit the ground, I was able to collect that whatever had hit my saber, had seemingly split in two, and both halves had hit me. I was only just aware of my surroundings, of Obi-wan standing over me barking orders while saying something to me. I didn't hear him, I couldn't. 

I did, however, feel the growing puddle below me, and the burning of my wounds. I saw the blurring colors as my _aliit _rushed about around me, and I was vaguely aware of the feeling of worried stares. Then, something pricked my neck, and I was out.__

__

__Jinx couldn't help but sigh when he got the call that Kirimoto had been shot, again. They weren't very specific, but by the fact that he was told that she was bleeding, he knew that she had been hit with the slugthrower again. And damn it, those were harder to fix than a blaster shot. He ran through a list of the things he would need, and made sure to comm Helix to meet him in the hanger in five minutes. He had a feeling that this would be a lot harder than the last time to fix._ _

__He was proved right as he stepped off the gunship and saw the general trying to stop the bleeding. Jinx was aware of Helix getting ready to transport the commander as soon as they were ready, but for now, he had to see how she was. He took a moment to glance around for any other threats._ _

__He noted a few things. The first being Shade, who was directing the rather frantic crowd. Cody seemed to have grabbed what Jinx believed to be the royals they were here to see. Third, he saw that Sketch had managed to catch the attacker, and Joha was over to help him a moment later._ _

__Then he was looking over his _di'kut jet'ika _. He noted that there seemed to be two wounds, and both were dangerously close to her heart. He made sure to ask Kenobi a few of his more important questions as he began to treat her. It was then he learned that only one shot had been fired.___ _

____If it was only one shot, did that mean she managed to cut it with her lightsaber? If so that would change things. He reached into his medkit, and pulled out two syringes. The first was a sedative, and the second was to help her blood clot. He wouldn't have her bleeding out before they could get back to the ship._ _ _ _

____He motioned to Helix, who had just gotten over to him with a stretcher. They had her back on the gunship within a few minutes, and they had taken off almost immediately. Jinx informed Helix of the few things he had learned, and also ran the other medic through a crash course of how to treat these particular wounds. Helix seemed to understand, and seemed almost eager. Apparently he was excited to be able to add this to his list of strange injuries. Jinx chuckled, but wondered why he even had that._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____Obi-wan let out a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding. The relief he felt was nearly overpowering, but he had things to do. So he looked around. The crowd dispersed, so that was a start. He then noticed that Joha and Sketch had captured what Obi-wan assumed to be the assailant. Then he saw as Shade went over to help Cody with the now frantic Royal family. Cody was speaking with the parents, and Shade began to whisper something to the children._ _ _ _

____He caught bits of what was being said as he approached._ _ _ _

____"But I didn't even see a weapon." The king stated._ _ _ _

____Obi-wan chuckled. "I see yet another has fallen into that particular trap." He joked, then explained whatever they needed. The two of them seemed to understand, and the conversation was going well._ _ _ _

____Then the jedi heard Shade cry out. They all looked over to see him chasing after the children, who had stolen his helmet and pistols._ _ _ _

____"Oh dear, it seems the children have grown restless." Obi-wan watched in amusement as the captain tripped over one of the children, then rolling down a short hill. Cody, however, was unable to stop the laugh that erupted at the sight. Obi-wan loved every second of it._ _ _ _

____"You could probably go help him." He heard Sketch state, amused._ _ _ _

____Joha chuckled. _"Bal graoti'r ibic? Ni mirdir va."__ _ _ _

______Obi-wan was sadly pulled away from the show as the queen wanted to speak a bit more._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______Several hours later, and Ghost squad had gathered in the medbay, wondering how their _Jeti'ika _was doing. Jinx was kind enough to inform them that she should be up and about once the sedatives wore off, but he made sure to mention that she would be on light duty only. They seemed to understand, and Kenobi had the good sense to look apologetic when Jinx glared at him. He earned a couple of laughs.___ _ _ _ _ _

________It wasn't long before it was only a couple of them left in the room. Most had gone to the mess, or to prepare for their coming mission. Whatever it was. Vos and Joha had been the ones who went up to the bridge to get their assignment, so Shade was expecting to hear from them shortly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________At the moment, it was just Shade and Obi-wan in the room as Jinx had left to sort some things. Shade had taken a seat a few feet away, and was scrubbing at the new marks on his helmet while he grumbled about having to touch up some of the paint now. After a few minutes, he seemed to give up, and put his helmet down._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Shade looked to his Commander, his friend, lying unconscious. He wondered why she was so damn reckless. Though he wondered if he could blame her, this time at least. While it was true that she did get hit, again, it was also true that there was no way she would have known what had happened until she had gotten hit. He wondered if this was only going to make her feel worse about herself._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Obi-wan, on the other hand, was just glad that his padawan was still alive. He remembered reading about slugthrowers years ago, back when he was just a youngling. He also knew that most of the jedi that got hit with them in the past had bleed out before they could get help. Well, that or they cut themselves with their sabers to stop the bleeding._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Obi-wan wondered still, why the council seemed to be dragging his padawan away so much. It was clear, even to him, that they still didn't really trust her as much as they should. That was thanks to Vall, who Kenobi still wanted to hurt. Kenobi himself was hurting, and in a way, he had thought of the girl as his daughter. It seemed to him that he had the biggest part of her childhood, despite being away with Anakin for most of it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________That thought got him thinking, and it reminded him of something that was said over the past few days, so he went to ask either Jinx or Helix about doing something for him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Shade noticed when Kenobi left, and he wondered why the hell the older jedi was leaving now. He could tell they were close, and even without knowing what he does, he would still come to that conclusion. Yet, Shade's thoughts always drifted back to Syntrian, and he found himself longing._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The captain studied the padawan's freckled face, aware of how damn adorable her pretty face was while she slept. So free from the worries of the day. He wondered why the jedi themselves seemed to have all the looks when they could never use them. It was easy to see why Cody had fallen for his _jetii _, and it was a wonder that he had gotten close to him before the rest of his company. Shade wondered if Cody could help with his so called 'problem'.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________"Deep in thought?" Kenobi stated, startling the captain. Shade managed to say something in response, though he wasn't certain that it came out in anything but a garbled mess. Kenobi chuckled before sitting down beside him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________"General?" Shade asked carefully._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________The older man didn't say anything for a few moments, then suddenly, "Watching you reminds me of how Cody was a few months after we met. Had I known he felt the same as me then, I wouldn't have waited so long." He seemed to get caught up in his thoughts a moment. "I don't know how she feels, but perhaps once you two have worked out whatever has gotten between you, you should speak to her about this." The jedi stood and left, leaving Shade to his thoughts._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations
> 
> And miss this? I think not.


	49. Chapter 49

I wasn't really sure how my day was going. First, I found myself waking up in medbay, and got scolded by Jinx for a solid twenty minutes. He was mad that I had ended up in his medbay for the third time in less than twenty four hours. Then, when he finally released me, I was told we were going to be setting off on our mission in around an hour, but Jinx made certain to remind me that I was probably going to be restricted to the ship. Thirdly, I met up with _bu _-Obi-wan as I was making my way back to my room. We spoke for a few minutes as I packed the few things I would need, making certain to grab my datapad. Jinx wasn't going to go easy on me this time.__

__He followed as we walked to the shuttle, explaining more about this gift we had received for our efforts. Obi-wan told me that he believes that it wants to go with me, and that if it was what he thought, than he would be more than happy to help me if I wanted him to. Then he handed me the small box, and told me I should practice some on what he's taught me._ _

__We had set off no too much later, and it seemed that someone had decided to rearrange the bunk assignments a bit. Apparently, someone decided that Junk needed a whole room to himself, so the rearranged things so that Shade was now bunking with me. When they told us this, I wasn't quite sure what I felt, though Shade seemed to grow embarrassed?_ _

__Once we were into hyperspace, Vos was kind enough to tell us the next mission. According to him, ghost squad was chosen to do some scouting and hopefully rescue a hostage. When asked who it was, he simply replied that there was at least one jedi padawan being held there and we were being sent to get them._ _

__Then we started planning. "If it's search and rescue, then that should make things easier." I began._ _

__"Yeah, but you're staying on the ship." Jinx began. "The last time I let you run off while injured, you got shot again. And since you'll be on light duty until we return, you can stay here." I deflated a bit, annoyed._ _

__Shade placed his hand on my shoulder, "Don't worry kid, we'll take care of it."_ _

__Jinx snorted. "You're staying here too. If you recall, you were also injured, and someone has to make sure she actually stays put."_ _

__"What?!" Shade exclaimed. A few of the others snickered._ _

__"You heard me captain. You and our dear Commander will stay on the ship, I'm sure the rest of us will be fine." Jinx was smug as hell as he said that last line, and it got under my skin._ _

__"Fine." I spat eventually, "But just so you know, if any of you die on me I refuse to listen to this again." They laughed for a few minutes, and the mood seemed to lighten._ _

__"I know that we're going to figure out our plan when we get there and get a better idea of what we're up against, but do we happen to know who we're suppose to be saving?" Sketch asked. "Knowing that little bit would be useful, especially since different jedi think differently. I would have an easier time figuring out an escape route for them and we could figure out how to best work with them." I smirked. Sketch really was starting to turn into the recon expert that Shade saw in him._ _

__"Apparently its General Plo's padawan. The kid got himself captured by smugglers during their latest mission and the general wasn't able to get him back. Apparently, he had a choice between saving the kid or losing a lot of his men. He didn't want their deaths to be in vain, so he trusted his padawan to stay alive until they could send someone to help him." I stopped paying attention for a moment, the conversation in the background turned to a blur in my vision._ _

__Tub was in trouble? What happened on his mission that they managed to catch him. He's nearly as good at escaping as I am at fighting. And smugglers? I wasn't aware that their last mission had anything to do with them. Did they just happen to get unlucky and get boarded?_ _

__I was nudged, it was Shade. "Kid. Thinking about what happened won't change anything, so if you must be stuck in that head of yours, why don't to think of ways we can get him back." He smiled warmly, and I wasn't sure what to make of it._ _

__

__They split a few minutes later, and I noticed that Junk looked like he needed to ask something. And based and whatever it was he had in his hand, I figured that he believed I wouldn't like it._ _

__"Sir?" He asked carefully, "Would you mind keeping this with you for a while?" He handed me the small, circular device._ _

__"What is it?" I inquired, inspecting the device._ _

__He seemed to grow uneasy. "Well, sir." He began nervously, "General Windu asked me to make a form of cloaking device based off of what you do, and well, since I got the base off of the guys that kidnapped you, it wasn't too hard to tweak and finish." He was eyeing me nervously, like he wasn't sure how I would react. I thought for a moment._ _

__"Do you happen to know what he wants with it?"_ _

__Junk cleared his throat. "I was told that he wanted to, as he said, speed up the process so that Ghost squad could use their particular talents even away from their commander." I felt a twinge of anger, but pushed it away almost as fast._ _

__"So he does want to take you boys away from me. Yet, he has a point." I paused a moment. "Tell me, Junk. What do you see in this device?"_ _

__He seemed surprised, and thought for a few seconds. "Well, Sir. We could use it so that when we go on missions where we have someone new, or someone who hasn't been around as long, and it could make up that difference and be able to hide them just as well as us."_ _

__I gave him a quick glance. "So if we were to give it to, say, Sketch, than he wouldn't be nearly as easy for the droids to find."_ _

__"Yes, sir." He stated. I thought for a few moments, considering my options._ _

__"I'm not sure how I feel about Master Windu ordering you to do this, but I figure that he had something you would have wanted. I don't see you as someone who would ply their trade for the entire galaxy, but just enough to consider it a hobby. I think that I'd be alright with this, so long as it stays with this team, and we don't use it too often. Alright?" He seemed to relax, and I couldn't help but be curious as to why he was so tense._ _

__"Thank you, sir." He paused, then began his explanation. "All I need you to do is keep it near you for awhile. It's able to read what's around it, so it should be able to pick up on whatever it is that lets you cloak the way you do, and when it's put on another person, it should replicate that effect." I found that interesting, though I wondered how he managed it. I smiled at him and put the small thing into my back pouch._ _

__

__I returned to my quarters at a time that would be considered late. I had expected everyone to be asleep, so it was a surprise when I noticed Shade sitting there, waiting. He had stripped out of his armor long ago, and was just sitting in his blacks. His expression seemed determined._ _

__"So. Wanna tell me why you've been avoiding me?" He asked calmly. I felt my guilt rise up, and the familiar lump grow in my throat._ _

__"I, ahh.." I froze, having hoped to not have to explain this. "It's just... I..." I would have backed up, but my back was already against the door._ _

__The look I received was more of sympathy than anything else, though it only worsened what I felt. "Syntrian, is everything alright?"_ _

__"I'm sorry." I mumbled, "I should have been better." My voice was hardly above a whisper, the words hardly audible._ _

__"What do you mean, you did everything you could." He was standing now, slowly approaching, being careful not to startle me. I bit back anything I would say._ _

__He sighed heavily, "Hey." He began softly. "Whatever it is that's got you like this, you can tell me. It'll help, I promise." I wanted to, but I stayed silent, holding everything back._ _

__"Syn, would you at least tell me what this is all about? Something happened down on the planet, and you haven't been the same since... Since you were kidnapped. Which you probably blame yourself for. But that's not the whole thing is it? I know you, and you aren't someone who would let just that get to you. Something else happened. So what was it?" He reasoned. "Tell me?" He asked softly._ _

__"I, umm. I remember... All of it."_ _


	50. Chapter 50

We landed on the planet two days later and by then it seemed like things were actually going well for once. The men were just about to head off when we got an update from master Plo, who had commed us to explain that they had found the area they were keeping his padawan, as well as a few things about the surround area. He ended by stating that he would wait until his padawan was out of danger before he would swoop in and remove the offenders. Apparently they were wanted on many planets for kidnapping and extortion. 

That was this morning, and the men had went off on their mission. but not before Jinx reminded us once again that we were stuck on the ship. Shade said something about double checking the sensors for incoming attacks before he went off on his own. I had gone back to the quarters to practice on my own, and to work towards charging the crystal. I had decided that a second lightsaber wouldn't hurt to have around, and I do already have the skill to wield it. 

But now it was dark out, and the team had reported in an hour ago that they were going to camp for the night outside of the compound. Shade had reported this to me when he came to check that I was still around. I was slightly insulted that he thought so low of me, but I was grateful that he had the thought to make sure I was alright. 

He had perched himself on the single chair in the room, and seemed to be waiting for me to finish with what I was doing. So I pulled myself from my meditation, and brought my force sense back down. 

"What's up Shade? Need something?" I asked, calmer than I've been in a few days. 

He smiled, "Actually, the boys have been pestering me to ask you to do something. 'Specially Jinx."

I gave him a curious gaze. "Oh, and what would that be?"

"They feel that since you're rather, well reckless, that it would be better for everyone if you would wear some armor."

I was amused. "I take it they're not satisfied with just my cloak?" He shook his head, and I thought for a few moments. Obi-wan has some, and doesn't Skywalker? So I suppose I wouldn't get in too much trouble if I did. 

"And what's your opinion on the matter?" I inquired. 

His expression never changed. "Sir, with all due respect. You are an excellent fighter, but that doesn't mean that a stray shot won't take you down. As your captain and your friend, I would appreciate it if I had one less reason to worry about you." I felt a spike of something at the word 'friend', but what he said, he believed. 

"Alright. If it means so much to you all, I'll allow it. Just don't go overboard, alright? I still have to be able to move enough to fight." I smiled, wondering how long they've been thinking of this. He visibly relaxed. 

"I'm sure the boys'll be glad." He paused a moment, "Yet, I had thought this conversation would be harder. From what I've heard from the other Commanders, most Jedi take some convincing..." He had an inquisitive expression. 

"Shade." I began, " From what I understand from how most others jedi think, they believe that the force is all they need to trust in to keep safe. Not only is that the same arrogance that they try to discourage, but I think you would agree, but it's also rather stupid." I could see the near shock on his face when I said that. It amused me. 

"Don't worry too much about it, Captain." I stated. "But go ahead and grab whatever you think is a good compromise for me." I smiled brightly, and he went to get started on his next task. 

The next morning, Shade was up bright and early. He had things to do, but figured that he didn't need to wake his jetii yet. She was less of not a morning person and more of not even a person until almost lunchtime. Suffice to say, he wasn't going to stir that up if he didn't have to. He remembered what happened to the shiny who had woken her up that day on the negotiator. They still tell tales of him...

Shade had donned his armor in a few minutes, not feeling the need to either rush or be particularly quiet. Then he went to the bridge, where he noted that it seemed to be around oh seven thirty. He chuckled, musing about how she would probably kill anyone who woke her this early. 

Then he went over the sensors, and noticed a blip heading towards him. Great, just great. He moved quickly, preparing for a fight. Whoever it was, they weren't here to talk. His men would have check in. He rushed towards the room they had designated as an armory, passing the box of armor pieces he had picked out for the jedi, and found Junk's experimental weapons. He looked them over, picking up a pair of gauntlets. If he wasn't mistaken, Junk had altered them so they could deliver a stun to whoever they hit. He switched them out in record time, and got back out into the hall just in time to see the intruders approaching. 

He pulled his pistols and aimed at them. "Get off my ship." He growled, his helmet making it come out grittier than normal. 

"Oh, a clone?" A weequay said, probably drunk already. "You don't stand a chance."

"Tell me, Clone. Where's the Jedi you came here with?" A rodian stated. 

Then a Trandoshan spoke. "Ahh, just kill him. It'll be much easier to take the ship and find the jedi after."

"May I suggest that you don't do that. In fact, you should all just leave. It'll be better for you in the long run." The group of around nine laughed, as if what he said was nothing more than a buff. Shade smirked. "Alright, then I guess I'll have to force you off. It wouldn't do to wake the Commander, after all."

"Hah!" One of the others exclaimed, "Did you hear that! The jedi is just a kid. Only the real ones get called General." Shade gritted his teeth, this was knowledgeable enough to be some sort of threat. 

"Zann, Krais. Take the Clone alive. If he serves directly under a jedi he might be worth something. After we'll search for the jedi and do the same to them." Shade took a single step back to readjust as the Rodian and Trandoshan stepped towards him. He took one deep breath, then fired. A single grunt echoed through the hall, and he had only just grazed one of the others. They came at him, and he dropped his pistols back into their hosters. 

He ducked as the Krais, the trandoshan, swiped at his head. If he was caught, he doubted the larger man would hesitate to kill him. Then he felt something hit his left knee, and something was pointed at his head. 

"Move, and I shoot." Zann stated coldly. Shade froze, wondering how to get out of this. He spun quickly, hitting the arm holding the blaster with his gauntlet. The rodian was dazed for a moment, but recovered quickly. Shade then had to fend both of them off, with nothing but his hands. 

It began with a choke hold, which ended in him losing track on his helmet. Then Shade's luck got worse as he took a fist to the nose, and was pretty sure it was broken, blood pouring out. A couple jabs to the stomach, and a kick to the knee. He struck back, incorporating the stun gauntlets in where ever he could 

All in all, he only managed to land a few hits before he was immobilized. They had him on his knees, hands tied, in less than a minute. Then Shade grew silent, noting the new arrival in the room before anyone else. The smugglers were chatting loudly about how they were going to get a fortune for all this. 

Meanwhile, he locked his gaze with Syntrian's. He could tell she had just been woken up. Her hair was a mess and she was still in the loose pants and tank top she tends to sleep in. 

"I wondered what it was the force was warning me about, but did you have to do this now?" She asked, her voice ice.


	51. Chapter 51

All eyes turned to the exhausted looking padawan, and the near murderous glare lining her expression. Shade was honestly surprised, every one of the smugglers were silent. 

"You've really done it now." Shade muttered. He watched as she looked him over staying a moment longer on his broken and bloodied face. If it were possible, He would say Syntrian's gaze grew even darker. 

"Looky here boys! The jedi made herself known to save us time." He watched as an idea popped into her head, the only tell being a slight change in where she was looking.

Then, she cackled. That smirk appearing on her face. "I doubt you'll get what you came for."

"Oh, yeah? I doubt you can beat us all." One of the dumber smugglers taunted. 

"Tell you what. I'll make you a deal." She began. "A fist fight, no weapons, no tricks, and no force. I'll even let you choose your opponent." Shade knew where this was going, and he wasn't sure he liked it. 

"Why should we? I could just shoot you now, and everything would be solved."

"Because. Then, you'd lose out on some of that payday you so desperately want." That sadistic nature of that smirk was apparently lost on the _du'kut _in front of him. "We win, you leave with whatever remains of your crew. You win, and you get me, him, and our ship." They seemed to think it over for just a moment.__

__The one that seemed to be their leader spoke up. "Fine, but you never stated how many you of my men you would fight."_ _

__"I'll take you all on."_ _

__The smuggler corrected her. "Not all, after all, someone's gotta watch this clone of yours. We will however see your bet. A jedi without the force is no threat to us, and I'll bet you'd fetch a great price from republic." That smirk grew, and she lead them all outside. Shade was roughly brought to his feet, and one of the men beside him made a remark about the jedi being rather dumb. Shade couldn't help a smirk of his own._ _

__He was brought to kneel down by their leader, and she seemed rather pleased with herself. He watched as they grew confident and he was sure they were all thinking the same thing. No Jedi would ever be able to beat them, especially one that's weaponless. They're wrong though, and the one piece of info that he was able to get will be the reason why._ _

__"You know. This Jedi of yours isn't very bright."_ _

__Shade chuckled, cutting her off. "You're the ones who aren't very bright. You'll be lucky if you get off with all your men still breathing."_ _

__"Oh, and what makes you think that. My men are some of the best, what can a lone fighter do against them?"_ _

__His smirk never left. "You're men weren't all but raised by a jedi combat instructor. She knows more ways to fight off your men than you have men."_ _

__"I guess we'll see. Look. Its starting." She stated, gesturing to the open area around ten feet away._ _

__It started quickly, with a couple of them charging in, the rest waiting and watching. Shade wasn't at all surprised when she managed to snap the first neck in a matter of moments, and the second one a few seconds later. They seemed hesitant, and he could almost feel the concern coming off the woman beside him. Three more came at her, it was the first three he had saw. They lasted a while longer, a punch or kick avoided while lashing out. But not even they could win, not untrain and unorganized as they were._ _

__Shade watched as she jumped on the Trandoshan's back, her legs curling around his neck. A clear, lound break later and he was on the ground. She kicked the Rodian hard enough in the throat that he had to sputter to breath, then she launched herself off his back, and crashed into the Weequay. They struggled for a moment before he too stopped moving. Then she blew out the Rodian's knees._ _

__"I... I don't get it. Jedi shouldn't be killing like this? Right?"_ _

__Shade laughed at her. "Normally yeah. But you've made a critical mistake. Two, in fact."_ _

__"W-what?"_ _

__Shade was more than happy to fill her in as the last few met their fates. "Your first mistake was letting her see one of her men injured. The second, was that she doesn't do well being woken up early."_ _

__"Wait. So she's doing all this, because she's tired?"_ _

__Shade shrugged. "She's not a morning person. And I did tell you not to." He looked out, and noted she was done. She stalked over to them, and the fury still in her eyes was enough to make the woman release him. Well, it was either that or the blood splattered on her face. He noted that she was kind enough to leave a couple of them alive, which was probably more than they should have hoped for. The smugglers rushed off after that._ _

__"I'm going to go get cleaned up, then I'm going back to sleep. When Jinx gets back have him take a look at your nose." She yawned and walked away. Shade checked the time. Oh seven forty._ _

__

__Later, when Ghost had returned, they had wondered where the bodies came from that still littered the area by the ship. Shade responded simply that they had tried to rob them, and woken Syntrian in the process. Jinx then set to work on fixing up Shade's broken nose, and double checking the man for injuries. He figured that he probably didn't have many, as the mess outside was almost certainly Kirimoto's mess._ _

__Tub, having snuck away from the medic, decided to go and find his friend. He figured that it was late enough that he could probably get away with waking his friend. So he snuck into the room, hoping one of the men wouldn't spot him, and found that she was still asleep. So Tub decided to play a prank on her._ _

__Reaching out with the force, he lifted her from the slab that counted as a bed, and put her up near the ceiling. Then he sent a suggestion to wake up. He laughed as she panicked for a moment, very nearly banging her head off the ceiling. Then she started running after him, and the game was on. Tub rolled out into the hall, rushing down the corridor, and found a vent to hop into. He knew from experience that it wouldn't stall Syn for long, but it was better than nothing if he wanted the game to last._ _

__"Be careful!" One of ghost squad yelled after him after he was very nearly run over. Tub called out his apology but kept going._ _

__The vents on Syn's shuttle were tighter than normal, which gave Tub hope that she wouldn't be able to follow him. He was around five feet or so inside when Syn caught up to the open vent, and had he not just turned a corner, she would have pulled him out with the force. Tub was familiar enough with their game to know the steps involved._ _

__He went down a couple more, and Tub could hear Syn following him. Apparently the vents weren't as small as he had thought. That, or Syn was simply smaller than first thought. It didn't matter though, because if she caught him, then the game was over and he would be down a point._ _

__He came across a grate, that lead into the cockpit. Tub decided to jump out, and in the process, land on one of the troopers as he put the ship into hyperspace._ _

__"Commander, I'm sure you have a reason for being here, but must you be on my head?" Tub apologized as he used the man as a launch pad, rushing back into the depths of the shuttle. As the door closed, he could hear Syn jumping down as well, and a rather annoyed trooper swiftly explaining._ _

__Tub then went for the mess, knowing that it would be easier to hide there, even if it was small. It was their that he found The captain and a rather cranky looking medic. Tub cursed, now having another player to this game._ _

__But before he could escape, a hand landed on his shoulder, and he was trapped._ _

__"I win this time!" A cheerful voice called out, if a bit louder than necessary._ _

__"I guess so." Tub grumbled. "Since your in the lead now, I guess you get to start the next round." The men seemed lost at Syn's reactions at the moment, but Tub wasn't going to bother explaining. At least he would get something out of this failed game._ _


	52. Chapter 52

A week, that's how long I've been back on Vindussuu. It been dreadfully boring, and though master Obi-wan has done a little bit of training with me, he's been busy trying to finish up a few things before the senate's representative arrives. Apparently he had gotten word that our next mission would also be starting, and that it was also diplomatic in nature. He might have frowned at the sigh I swear I didn't give, but he ended up understanding and explaining why we had to do different types of missions. 

Either way, I wasn't looking forward to it, and the dread I was feeling didn't help. The force was warning me of something, and I just wish I knew what it was. I haven't felt it this much before, like the force itself wants to avoid something but knows it can't. Not for the first time, I found myself wishing that I had been taught more about the force. 

But there's no time for that now, as master Obi-wan called me for some training. I found him easily, as we were currently still on the planet, and the palace isn't very large. When I arrived in the space they alloted for us to train, he was already there, and seemed to be meditating. Or at least, that's what he wanted it to look like. He was sitting there hoping Cody wouldn't pick up on it before I got there. Oh, but the commander did, and he would have to pay for that later. 

Either way, he stood once I entered, and seemed to be thinking about something. Obi-wan was considerate enough to wait until I was closer to begin voicing his thoughts. 

"Today I think we should work on getting you started on mastering a form. A widespread knowledge of the forms is fine, but it can only get you so far." He paused. 

"We're doing lightsaber training?! Great!" I may have been more than a little excited. 

He chuckled. "Patience, young one." He lectured. "In time, you may wish to master another style as well, but for now let's see which on you feel most comfortable with and work on that. We'll make sure that you keep a good grasp on the other forms as well, but if you were to come across someone who happens to be a master at one of the forms, you'll have a harder time switching between them than if you just had one or two you were really good with."

"But master, wouldn't it make it harder for someone to evade or block if you were to attack them differently?"

He put his hand on my shoulder, "For most opponents that would work well enough. What I'm talking about are the true masters of the craft. Those are the one's you'll have trouble with." He was patient as he explained. "Here, I'll show you. Get ready and we'll have a quick spar." I took a few steps back and grabbed one of my sabers, wondering what he could teach me that I didn't already learn. Vall was quite thorough on that point. 

A few deep breaths and I began, waiting to activate my saber until I got within striking range. He pulled his up at the moment of impact, and pushed me back. But not before I dropped my second one on the ground near him. He didn't seem to notice, so I pulled it behind him using the force. 

I left my saber on this time as I ran towards him, then flicked it off a moment before impact, instead aiming for a punch. I was surprised when he managed to dodge and grab my wrist. He pushed me back using the force, and stopped moving. 

"Now, I know you don't really fight like this." He grabbed the saber that was still behind him, and tossed it to me. "If you're going to get anything from this, you'll have to pretend it's a real battle." I glared at Cody. The only reason Obi-wan would have known is if the commander had told him. He just ignored my gaze. 

"Are you sure? It's not exactly something most of the masters would approve of." 

He gave a warm smile. "Syntrian. This is about getting you to master a style, and there are plenty of jedi out there that use non standard styles just as there are many that use one of the seven forms. If we're going to figure yours out, then I need to know how you would fight in a real battle since I haven't had the chance to yet." I considered it for a few moments, then took a few breaths to concentrate. 

"If your certain, but make sure you're prepared." Once I was focused we began again. I stayed where I was, going over my options. Obi-wan seemed to grow cautious, decidedly circling the room. Now, how to do this? I moved in a way that concealed one of my sabers up the sleeve of my cloak, and set the second to floating nearby. 

I fell into position, readying myself for close combat. I rushed at he him a moment later, keeping the floating saber in front of me. I seemed to catch him off guard, but I doubted it would be enough to hit him. Master Obi-wan was, after all, a master of Soresu. I let the blade make contact with his own, making certain that he was occupied then went in for a kick, using a bit of the force to make the movement faster.

I was surprised when he stumbled back a few feet, but he rebounded quickly. "Surely that's not all you have?" He taunted. Apparently his battlefield banter spills over to this as well. 

"Of course not. After all, it wouldn't be fun otherwise." I smirked, taking a moment to access the situation. This time he came to me, slowly, like he was watching my every move. I struck first, using the floating blade once again. He parried it, and it was pushed away. Still, I went for him, and a brief flash of curiosity crossed his gaze. 

I began by forcing his hands away from his center, using just enough force for him to drop his weapon. The act got a surprised gasp from Cody. After forcing him into hand to hand, I made certain that I had the upper hand, pushing him back a few inches at a time. 

A minute or so passed, the pattern staying, yet I felt like master Obi-wan was planning something. I struck out, breaking from the pattern, pulling the hidden blade from my sleeve. It was mere moments away from him when it was blocked by his own. He had that damn smirk on his face when he pushed me back. 

I ended up five or so feet away, thinking fast. I brought both sabers to circle me, protecting from any strike he might try. Using the force, I switched the mode on my pistols to stun. In one movement, I had them in my hands, and pushed my sabers towards him as I hoped it was enough of a distraction. 

Then moment they impacted his saber, I shot twice. Obi-wan was surprised for a moment, but managed to block it. I bit my lip, wondering if I had the time to bring them back, only to have his saber at my throat. I was defeated in that moment. 

I put the pistols away, making a note to double check them when we get back to the ship. Collecting my sabers was a simple task, pulling them towards me with the force. 

Over all, Master Obi-wan seemed pleased with the results. He clapped my shoulder, and I could feel a bit of pride coming through our bond? Cody seemed to have calmed down by now as well, and apparently so had the crowd I hadn't noticed. I guess I still have a lot to learn. 

"Well, that was a surprise. Though if this was a real battle, I do think that any number of things could have gotten you from behind. You went using the force to scan your area, were you?" He paused, correct in his statement. "Syntrian. Keep working on this style of yours. It has potential, and I don't think your abilities are something that can be harnessed properly using one of the standard forms. I want you to work on getting your force sense tied into it, it will make you a tougher opponent when it matters." He continued on for a few minutes yet, going over a few other points, and explaining each one. I drank it all in, happily surprised that I was getting this much explanation.

This was one of the only times I've had a serious spar with master Obi-wan, so I hadn't expected an explanation, let alone such a descriptive one. I hadn't had help in improving in a long time either, and I found it to be welcome. He laid out a loose plan, stating that he hoped he would have the time to help more often once we got back to the _Negotiator _. I smiled brightly, earning a light chuckle.__


	53. Chapter 53

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry for the wait on this next chapter. Hope you enjoy. 
> 
> Also not sure if the force works like this, but whatever. 
> 
> Enjoy:}

We had left Vindusuu a few hours before, and I was already growing more anxious about the coming mission. I wonder what could be about to happen to give me this level of warning from the force. It wasn't like meditating got me anywhere, as I wasn't able to release anything into the force when the force is the cause of it. 

I decided to go down to the training rooms, I could always work on my forms. Maybe I could even get some good sparring practice in. Hmm, I wonder if Obi-wan would join me? He did say he would find the time to, right? 

I approached the doors, and a message flashed across my vision. It was from Obi-wan. Apparently he wanted to me to meet him so we could go over what we know about our mission. He informed me that both Shade and Cody would be joining us, so I turned on my heels, and began down to the opposite side of the ship.

Arriving, I found that I was the last one to, and that the others were waiting. Apparently they had decided we were meeting in the mess, because Cody believed it was the best way to get his mess of a jedi to eat something. I found it amusing until they shoved something in front of me as well. They spoke amongst themselves a few minutes while things settled, then, we began. 

It was standard enough to begin with. Mission outline, time frame, and so on. Apparently Obi-wan and I were going to Sah, to meet with the leadership if the Sahnohians. We would be taking my men with us, but it was explained that Cody and the rest of the 212th were needed to support Skywalker with his current attack. Which meant we would be departing on our shuttle in a few hours. 

Then he went into some of the history of the planet, which both Obi-wan and the council thought was important. It was explained that this was a race who use to have frequent wars against the sith, back when they were common. Obi-wan explained that it was for this reason that we weren't going to be allowed weapons once we got off the ship. So either they were trying to hurt us, or thought we would harm them.

We spoke a few minutes more on what we knew, before one final thing was stated. Apparently they only agreed to speak with us if we were willing to do things their way, and respect their culture. It sounded odd, but there was something they weren't telling us and it was this that grew my anxieties. 

The trip was quiet enough, and we made it there within a few hours, which meant that for once my men were behaving themselves. Junk and Jinx had started retrofitting the medbay, stating simply that they doubted it would be enough for the missions to come. I left them to it, knowing exactly what they didn't say. I thought that I saw Sketch doing who knows what to the room he now shared with Stunner. If anything, I suppose There'll be an interesting show later. 

Obi-wan called me to the cockpit, stating that we needed to go over a few things before we landed. I found him looking rather worried as he sat with Shade. 

"Master?" I took one of the empty seats. 

He sighed heavily, "It seems we may have a problem." He paused a moment. "We were going through the list of things that the Sahnohians had sent us, and we noted one thing in particular."

"I take it this is going to affect me the most?" I half asked. 

He nodded. "It seems that they have a few customs here that may prove to be difficult for you. For one, and this seems the most dangerous right now, they greet each other in song. The problem would be that not doing so properly has the potential to offend them, and our presence here is tolerated at best."

It's not so much a problem as much as the entire mission could be at stake. "Isn't there a way we could get around that?" I asked, hoping for a chance. He seemed to contemplate it, wondering if there was an option. 

A moment, then another. Finally, he answered. "In the force, everything is connected. There may just be a way, but I'm not certain you would be able to learn it in such a short amount of time." I cursed internally. Of course that's how it would be. I could tell that Shade was shocked by his statement, and the captain very much would fight Obi-wan given the chance, but he knew better than to act on it. 

"Sir, with all due respect. I think if there's any chance of this succeeding, I think you should try it." 

"I agree." I stated, "We should at least try, otherwise we have no chance."

He sighed. "Alright, but we only have a few minutes. I need to to listen. Captain." He stated. "Please put the ship down once we get confirmation. If you don't hear from us by the time the envoy arrives, please get my attention." The captain nodded, and Obi-wan began to tug at our bond. I nodded as he began with instructions that Shade couldn't hear. 

I took a few deep breaths, centering myself before falling into meditation. Master was guiding me, trying to get me to reach out in a similar way to what I already had. He wanted me to open myself up, and get everything that was around me. A moment's doubt passed through my head, wondering if this was truly alright. He calmed that in an instant, and gently guided me forward. 

I was starting to get somewhere, feeling the life on the ship, and getting a distinct feel from each of them. But he urged me to go further, to truly feel the world as only we could. I tried to do as he said, and thought over that one line again. Everything's connected? I let myself let go of that which was me, hoping that was right. 

I was aware of so much more. The ship beginning to land on the planet. Junk growing annoyed about not having the right tool. The hum of the engine, even Sketch humming as he worked. It took me a moment to realise that I could hear things in this state, almost like the sounds were coming from within.

If everything is connected, then I should be able to use this in a more simple way. He seemed to grow a bit brighter at that, and guided me back in a bit. He had me focus on Shade, something about the force signitures? 

So I did, and I seemed to connect easier than I thought. Then, slowly, the sounds of the cockpit started flickering in. Yet it all seemed slightly off to me, like I wasn't using my own ears anymore. He glowed brighter, and wanted me to maintain that while he helped bring me back to consciousness. 

Then I was sitting back in my seat, not entirely sure what had happened. Obi-wan was sitting there, smirking.

"So padawan, did you learn something." I must have looked confused. Where I was hearing things from and my position weren't lining up. 

"Please tell me why I suddenly have a headache." Shade asked, though I heard it as though I were the one speaking. 

Obi-wan seemed apologetic at least. "I'm sorry for the discomfort Captain, but I do think that we have a temporary solution, if nothing else."

"I'm not seeing how your weird force shit gave me a headache, and I'm not really sure I want to know at the moment." He seemed tired. I would have to explain it to him later. I gave a bit of a chuckle at that, and he seemed to have the smallest of smilest on his face. I noticed that I was receiving his emotions clearer than before, though I still couldn't figure out what it was that he was feeling. 

"Syntrian." Obi-wan stated after a moment. "We are here on a mission of peace, in order to appear as such, I would appreciate it if you would leave your cloak on the ship. I, myself, won't even be wearing my own armor."

I thought for a moment, starting to feel more comfortable with this. "I understand. I'll go put it in my quarters then." I stated getting up. I made certain that I didn't break that link. I couldn't, not now. As I walked away, I could hear what they were talking about, and a smile formed on my face.


	54. Chapter 54

Obi-wan stood, preparing himself, as they waited for the ramp to drop. He felt apprehension about this mission, but he believed that he could do it successfully. So long as they could get through this first meeting, everything should go smoothly. Syntrian shouldn't have anymore problems on this planet. He had arranged things as much as he could so she wouldn't be able to offend them without trying to. Going so far as to ask that they be allowed to head back to their shuttle at the end of each day so that they might confer with the council was a simple enough way to keep them from getting nervous. 

Nonetheless, as the three of them stood there, he could tell that they were fidgety. He understood the Captain's point of view. Not having his weapons must make him feel vulnerable. He was lucky, then, that he was allowed to wear his armor, with the exception that he was certain to remove his helmet any time he was in a conversation. 

Syntrian being fidgety was more unexpected. He would have expected her to be calmer, though if she was feeling any part of what he was getting from the force, he couldn't blame her. A brief check insure that she still had the connection going. Obi-wan let out a brief smile. They would get through this mission. He would have pondered why the two of them were being sent on diplomatic missions, but he was interrupted by the ramp lowering. 

Obi-wan took the lead, Syntrian and her Captain falling in behind him. He could tell they were doing their best to look dignified, but he doubted that was going to work. 

"Welcome to Sah, Master Jedi." A representative sang, greeting his group. "Our prime minister is right this way." The representative reminded him of the kaminoans, but if they had four arms and were covered in colorful scales. Obi-wan allowed himself to look about as they walked, taking in the scenery. 

They were lead through the city, many of the civilians stealing a glance at the strange group. He noted that they seemed apprehensive, and guarded. It meant he wasn't going to be able to forget that they were only just allowed on the planet. Obi-wan began to examine his surroundings closer. 

The city itself struck him as odd. Despite seeming relatively advance, the buildings looked as though they were slopped together. Metal sheets stuck out from seemingly random outcrops, forming what looked to be nothing more than huts. Yet, Obi-wan felt a massive amount of lifeforms here. Was most of their civilization underground? Or perhaps they're simply hiding it?

Obi-wan was still trying to figure it out when they arrived at a rather impressive looking building. This must be newer building, or at least one that isn't used very much. They were lead into what seemed to be the main entrance, and Obi-wan felt a strange wave of something wash over him. He noted that whatever it was seemed to weaken the force around him. He hoped that this wasn't going to harm his padawan in anyway. 

She followed them in, took a few uneasy steps, and seemed to get lightheaded for a moment. He took a moment to pause, and gave her a quick once over. It seemed that his pause caught the attention of the representative.

"Is everything alright?" They asked in that strange sing songy tone. 

Obi-wan took the chance to explain. "Forgive the sudden delay. I was unaware that you had force dampeners around your buildings."

"Given our past, surely you understand our reasoning." They sang bluntly. "Is there a problem?"

"I don't believe so," He stated, noting the strange mannerisms and ticks he was shown. "My padawan is simply more reliant on the force than most of my order. I think it may have hit her harder than normal." The representative gave a motion which seemed to indicate that he should go check on her.

He swiftly retook the two or maybe three steps it took to get to her, and asked her a few questions in a muffled tone. She responded well enough, and everything seemed to be going smoothly still. Obi-wan let out the breath he was holding and returned the representative. 

It was rough enough even entering the building, and the first meeting with the prime minister was odd to say the least. I found this culture to be strange, and the fact that they sang everything put me at a disadvantage. Shade and I were both surprised to learn that Master Kenobi was a much better singer than we would have thought. Then Shade and I had to introduce ourselves, but had the elegance and grace of an exploding fuel tank. Nonetheless, we made it through, and no one died?

"Padawan Kirimoto, was it?" The representative we met earlier, Janiko, asked. 

I turned to face him, "Hmm?"

"If it's alright with your master, I would like to take you and your captain on a tour of the city." I shot a glance over to Obi-wan, who simply waved me off with a smirk. Great! I don't have to stay here for this all, the mission just got so much better. Shade and I followed the taller man out of the building, and I had to admit, I was surprised. The city looked completely different than before. 

"Our city was built so that it may hide underground at a moments notice."

Shade responded, "Fascinating, it must make for quick defense. In the event of an emergency, you won't lose much."

"Quite right captain, and rather astute observation. Tell me, what more do you see here?" I was surprised that Shade had managed to catch the Sahnoian's eye, but found it interesting. 

Shade looked about a bit, catching a few things here and there. "You don't trust us very much if I can see six different snipers trained on us. From what I can see, you've also got weapons mounted on most of your buildings and a couple shield generators."

Janiko chuckled, "That's not all, but I am impressed you could see so much." He began to point out a few of the more important places, and explained some of their history. 

He spoke of a time when the sith had come to their planet, and they managed to fend them off. As such, they were trained for combat against force users, and had an array of lightsabers in their armory. They explained that their society was set up so that they were ready for battle at any moment should their ancient enemy show once more. 

"A society so dedicated to fighting force users would be a useful ally, or a dangerous enemy."

"We agree, so while we wished to speak with your council, we are prepared to go to war should we need."

"If I may be so bold," I began, "Do your people have many force users?"

Janiko laughed, "In fact, most of our people are. However, we do not use it as yours do. To us, it simply enhances what we have, our reflexes and senses. At times, a young one appears that can use it more freely, they are more like those in your order." I found this rather interesting. "Tell me, young one. What do you think will happen. War, or peace?"

I thought for a few moments, letting Janiko point out a few more things here and there. "I'm not certain. In my experience, the council doesn't always make the best choices. Though they claim otherwise, they are blinded by arrogance. The beleive that that sith are no longer a threat, and refuse to listen to any doubts. The do however, need allies. The war their waging alongside our republic has soured the view the people have of our order."

"And yet, you seem like you would have the clearest view on the matter?" 

I almost laughed, "Perhaps, if only the council would listen to me. I fear that my previous master did enough damage to discredit me for a while yet."

"A shame." He almost seemed to smirk. "No matter, it is nearly time for nightfeast and I believe Minister Zerek has something planned for you. Let us return."


	55. Chapter 55

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know as well as I do that it's time for our padawan to find herself in trouble again. Hope you enjoy.

I wondered about many a things at the ministers feast that night. It was large, and more than we would see in the mess on the ship. Zerek seemed to be rather polite, though he spoke of things we found odd. It was apparently important to them to mix their work and rest, as he kept switching between the negotiations and various questions. 

"Tell me, Master Jedi, do you always feast with your subordinates?" It was unfortunate that I couldn't get his tone, as when we had re entered the building, I had lost the connection. He also gave me a strange look, as though he was referring to me as such. 

I did, however, catch the near smirk on my master's face when he responded. "Sometimes. I find that it raises my mens efficiency on the battlefield, and forges a stronger bond, which in turn, lowers casualties."

"And yet, your republic loses thousands of soldiers a day. You aren't afraid of running out of recruits?" His question brought a certain awkwardness to the table. "A war on this scale would take an extraordinary amount to keep up." Moments of silence came as one of us tried to figure out an answer.

"Our clone army is able to be replaced faster than a normal one, though I do hate to think of them like that. They are trained to be the best possible soldiers, and I find that a single squad of men can take down a warehouse in some circumstances." He paused for a moment, then struck back with a question of his own. "You seem quite interested in our military capabilities, and yet, we have little information on you."

Zerek clapped with his free hands, summoning an aid. They brought with them a few datapads, and handed them to Zerek. He looked over them for a few moments, typing out a couple things here and there. He handed it back, and the aid went through everything. He whispered a few things to them, and turned back to us. 

"My assistant will get you what you need, in the meantime, a question for you, young one." He was addressing me now, though I didn't really enjoy that particular title. "I admit, I'm curious as to those devices you have. What purpose do they serve?" He motioned to my holotitles. 

I took a moment to respond, making sure I had understood him correctly. "Ah, those." A moment's break, "I can sometimes be a bit on the... deaf side. I admit that it's gotten pretty bad recently. These devices were made to tell me what's said around me." The conversation continued for a while yet, and though I only seemed to get bits of it, things seemed to be going smoothly. Though I wondered why we had to do things that way we did. 

These people seemed kind enough, though I was still getting warning through the force. I got the feeling that someone at this table was plotting something, and it was probably someone who didn't really like our presence. I took a cautious look around the table in an attempt to figure it out. I didn't notice anything. 

It wouldn't do to distract Obi-wan right now, but perhaps Shade could notice something? I glanced over to him, catching his gaze. After a moment I think he got the memo, and I could see as he grew the slightest bit stiffer. I wondered if he would be able to find something I couldn't.

Obi-wan was still speaking with Zerek now, though the conversation seemed to be calming down. They were speaking of something unrelated, though they seemed to be getting along rather well. I guess things were going well?

"Now, my friends!" Zerek clapped. "If you'll come with me, I'll show you to your quarters. I do hope you'll find them to your liking." The minister seemed rather cheerful, though his change of attitude struck me as odd. We were walked to a rather luxurious wing, and I was honestly surprised. I'd never seen such a thing, especially at the temple. 

We were brought before a single room, though it was quite large. Apparently these were for guests of the state, though they were few and far between. We were let in, so that we could get settled in. I had an uneasy feeling about this, but I kept myself appearing calm. Zerek left after a few moments leaving us with a stack of datapads to search through. 

We were left to our own devices, and I was able to catch the slightest of drops in Obi-wan's posture. He won't admit it, but he's definitely tired. Shade took the chance to check in with his men, while Obi-wan took a look around. Ten minutes later, we were huddled around again, pouring over the information. 

I woke early the next morning, almost in a daze. It was like something was calling me, though my mind was in a fog. I managed little more than a quick glance out the window, and noted it was still dark. I was acutely aware that my legs were moving, and the sting when I rammed into a table. 

"Syn..." Shade faded out, "What are you doing?" I must have startled him awake, yet I couldn't figure out how to answer him. What was going on? He grew worried when I didn't answer, I could feel that much. He took the couple of steps towards me, and laid a hand on my shoulder. I was starting to grow worried when I didn't stop, like I was possessed. I had one foot out the door, when I felt a spike of panic?

"Syn?" He didn't seem to be asleep anymore at least. He tried to grab my arm, only for my body to react on its own. I had to watch as he was flipped, and tossed into the opposite wall. That was surely going to wake Obi-wan. Maybe he could stop whatever this was. 

I was down the hall, turning, when I caught a glimpse of something bounding down the hall. Yet I kept going, though I willed myself to stop. What was going on? Though I couldn't even move my head, I could tell there was no one else around. I cursed mentally. Why do these things always happen to me?

Eventually, I found myself in a dimly lit alley. Shade was still behind me, though he didn't seem to be making much progress. Then he tried to grab me again. I cursed his stubbornness as my body reacted. I internally winced as I watched. I grabbed his arm, pulled him close and kicked him hard in the stomach. Yet he didn't give up. He was up a moment later, and aimed a punch with the intention on stunning me. I cursed myself, reflexes kicking in, and nailing him square in the face. 

Shit, looks like I'll have to apologize later, once whatever this is is gone. I turned back towards where ever it was that I was going, leaving him unconscious on the ground. I wish I knew what this was, and I hope that somebody had thought to start tracking me. At this point, that might just be my only hope. 

Shade groaned. It took him a moment to remember where he was, and why. He shot up, rubbing his temple. That was quite the headache he had, he could also feel several bruises, and a blackened eye. He had to find his di'kut jetii and figure out what had happened. Shade looked around, and quickly realised that he wasn't sure where he was. He sighed and began to pick his way back. At least he had remembered to grab his comm? Which reminded him. 

"Junk, come in."

"Yes captain?" The trooper sounded exasperated. 

"I'm going to need some help. I seem to have gotten myself lost, and..."

He was interrupted. "Don't tell me you've lost her again!?"

"Something was wrong. It was like something was controlling her."

"Again? Really? Doesn't anyone have original ideas any more?" If he had to guess, it was Sketch who responded. 

He heard a sigh. "I'll get started Captain. For now, I'm sending you the map we've managed to get."


	56. Chapter 56

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bits or torture here. Nothing to bad?

By the time Shade made it back to General Kenobi, the Jedi was about to go search for him. The captain had been taken inside, and their medics set to work on him. Kenobi immediately asked him What had happened, and where his padawan had gone. The replies the Jedi got were concerning at the very least, and the fact that Shade could see it on his face wasn't a good thing. Kenobi believed that this was an attempt to destroy the negotiations by making it look like Syntrian disappeared on her own.

The captain relayed that he had his men working on finding her, though he hadn't heard back from them yet. It was around then, when Zerek arrived, and asked what was wrong. Kenobi waited but a moment before he explained that his padawan had been kidnapped. Zerek was heavily concerned with this, and swore that he would help them find her. Kidnapping a guest of the state was apparently an offensive worthy of their arena. 

Shade winced as they tenderly did what they could for his black eye, though he wasn't expecting much. Jinx would be having a field day with him if the medic was here. There was no doubt that the medic would be making this as painful as possible for him, as Jinx was no doubt mad that he had once again lost their jet'ika. 

"The problem is if she's in one of the underground bunkers. We have hundreds in this city alone, and sensors can't penetrate them. It would be a waste to send men to search over every one, not to mention the days it would take to do so." They sat in silence for a few moments, wondering what they should do. "If there was something on her that's not native to this world, we could try that. However, there are few things that can get past the bunkers sensor jammers." Zerek's explanation didn't help much, but it gave Shade a few ideas.

"Sirs. If I may, I have a few ideas." 

Zerek sighed heavily. "Go on, Captain."

"I believe we have three options. The first, is that I could send a couple of my boys to search each of these bunkers. It would take them a while, but they would get it done. We could also try searching for trace amounts of Beskar." He paused for a moment, not liking the pit that formed at his third idea.

Kenobi was the one who asked next. "And the third."

Shade sighed, "If we waited until she started to affect the area, then we should be able to pick up on it. Junk told me that he was wanting to work on making instruments that could cut through that disturbance of hers." He paused a moment. "The only problem is that this would leave her with her captors for a while. She would be at their mercy, and we don't even really know what they want from her." He watched, trying to get a read on the minister's expressions. 

They waited for the minister to respond, needing to know what he would allow them to do. The silence was deafening. Moments turned to minutes, and the ambient ticking was starting to get on the captain's nerves. 

Then, finally, he answered. "Unfortunately, I'm not sure how my people would react to unknown soldiers running around their town, and I can't afford to send my guards out until we have a better idea of where young Kirimoto is. I will allow you to scan as much as you need, and once you can get a general location, I can send the guards in to search. I admit, I don't know of this Beskar you mentioned, so there's a chance you could detect it."

"I understand, Minister. Thank you for the aid you can give us."

"I am sorry that I can't do more to help you." He began. "My people are already tense simply with your presence here, Master Jedi. I took a big risk to even bring you here." 

"There is one thing, Sir." Shade began. "Do you have a general idea of how big these bunkers are?" The minister nodded and stated that they were mostly the same size, though a couple were bigger than the others. 

Shade took a moment to excuse himself before he contacted his men. He let himself close the door to their meeting room before starting. It took them a moment to respond, though they were just as frustrated as Shade thought they would be.

"No updates yet, it seems that where ever she is, is hard to scan." His comm silenced for a moment. 

"Alright boys, I have a new set of orders for you. I need Junk to get working on his fancy scanners. Also, about how long it would take for the _jet'ika _to start affecting an area about the size of the shuttle to the point where we could pick up something on the scanners. I check back in an hour for an update." He could hear Junk's grumbling in the background. "I know it's a lot. But the commander's been taken somewhere and will probably be at their mercy until we find her." The man was still grumbling about the amount of work he had, but he got straight to work if the sounds coming from that side were any indication.__

__

__Syntrian awoke to the slow, constant dripping of something landing on the top of her head. She shivered, soaked through, the cool area not doing much to help. She tried to move, and got nowhere. She found her hands chained just behind her head, and a hole right behind her head._ _

__Looking around didn't help much, as even with her sight, she saw little more than the bleak darkness around her. It took her a few more seconds to realize that her perception of the force was limited to a small area around her, no more than perhaps five or even six feet. Where ever she was, whoever had her, it wasn't going to be easy to get away._ _

__She winced as the lights flicked on, then off, and back on. Repeating the sequence every second or two. A man, or at least she thought it was a man, appeared in front of the lights. She could just barely make out the sadistic grin on his face as he dropped a box on the floor. She watched as something scurried out of it, and approached her. The padawan was startled to find the creature had some intelligence, malice and intention flowing off it._ _

__Before she could process anything else, the man was gone, and she felt the grinding as the walls of the roughly twenty by twenty room slid in a foot or so. Then her attention was back on the rodent that was now in her face. She thought it was grinning at her, and she felt that it was going to have the time of its life. She swallowed hard, trying to prepare herself._ _

__The whole time, the dripping never ebbed, and her shivering persisted. She cursed, felting the creatures tiny claws starting to gouge into her skin. She hadn't noticed that she had been stripped, well, until her thigh began to bleed as the rodent tore a chuck from it. She wasn't sure how long passed before Syntrian felt the walls shift again._ _

__

__She wondered how long passed before she started seeing things. She wasn't even sure if they were even real, with her senses limited like this. The incessant dripping of the water was the only constant, and even that was becoming a problem. Her thigh had never stopped hurting, so she assumed it was infected. Not to mention that rat, as she felt it wanted to be known as, decided the best place to sleep was inside her breast. And as such, had them both being little more than a flap of skin. She still remembered the sensations as it chewed away, making its home._ _

__That wasn't even the worse part. She lived in fear of being crushed, the walls growing ever closer. They would get to within an inch of her, then they would randomly spring back before resuming their assault. She winced, every time, and the shadows didn't help. To top it off, she couldn't remember the last time she ate, and the only thing she could drink was the putrid drips of whatever was landing on her head._ _


	57. Chapter 57

"I do believe that things are going well. Minister Zerek has agreed to our terms, and all he asks for in return is that we help to train their soldiers. He believes that it will help them defend themselves should we ever turn against them, or if a sith should attack again." Shade watched as Kenobi gave his council the report, though the soldier was focused on anything but. 

"We'll take it under consideration." Windu stated. 

General Fisto asked the next question. "Kenobi, any news on your padawan?"

The exhaustion in the red headed jedi was obvious. "No... Unfortunately we haven't gotten any sign from her in the past month. The men think they should have something in the next couple of days. Minister Zerek has agreed to help us secure her once we've been able to narrow down where she could be."

Shade left the man to it, and went to check on his men. Junk was still trying to figure something out to track her, and Jinx was preparing his medbay for the inevitable. He noted a few of the others, and couldn't help but notice a lack of moral. The fact that their commander was missing was taking a toll on them all. 

The captain sighed as he entered his quarters. He needed to think. Wherever she was, she had to be effecting the area by now. So why couldn't they find her? Junk had figured out a way to pick her up on the scanners, using that cloaking device he had around. Shade chuckled coldly, that man was stupidly good at what he does. Come to think of it, his team has gotten rather good at each of their specifications. 

Shade was in the middle of his thoughts when he was interrupted. "Sir! I think we have something here." He turned to his vod, noting the pad in his hand. Vos handed him the pad, and looked it over. He raised an eyebrow, and was trying to figure out what he was looking at. The pad changed a bit, and he noted the difference immediately. One of the blank spaces they knew as a bunker was missing now. 

"Good work, Vos. Get the boys ready, we'll head out once we coordinate with the Minster. Oh, and give Junk my thanks." Shade got up, and prepared himself, knowing that whatever they found, it would be worse than what he expected. It always was. He was prepared within the minute, and was out and about; he had made sure to pull Syntrian's lightsabers to his belt, just in case. 

"We going, Captain?" Sketch asked, hopeful. 

" _About time. _" Joha stated. " _It'll be good to have her back. _" His mando'a was a nice change for once. By the time he got back to Kenobi, he was already talking with the Minister. A nod from the jedi was all they needed to get the ship up, and were on their way to the area they had spotted.____

____ _ _

____They landed, and met up with the Ministers guards. Shade nodded to their commander, and they went up to the heavy metal door. The guards got the door open, and they entered. It was dark, though they could hear something moving below them. The night vision on their helmets was the only thing that lead them through the building._ _ _ _

____Shade found a staircase, his men a few feet behind him. The guard commander nodded to him, and they started the descent. The chorus of footsteps would undoubtedly alert whoever was down there, but there wasn't another way out. They made it to the bottom, and nothing changed._ _ _ _

____Eventually, they found a corner, and noted a light once they rounded it. They could hear someone frantically scurrying about, though Shade doubted they would be able to get to them before they hid. Shade smirked. They have no idea what they were up against._ _ _ _

____"Better hurry." The commander muttered. "We'll have a hard time finding them of they hide."_ _ _ _

____"Just leave that to us." Junk stated proudly. A couple of his boys chuckled. They were quiet by the time they rounded the corner, and found what looked like a control room. There was an extensive panel with several buttons, switches and levers, as well as several large screens. Shade thought it looked rather old fashioned._ _ _ _

____Junk was the first to try to make sense of it all, in the meantime, Shade sent a couple of his boys to find whoever was the one controlling all of this. Once the order was out, the captain began to study the screens more closely. He noted that a couple had night vision, and only one was off. Of the two he could see, one seemed to be empty, and the other had a corpse._ _ _ _

____"Sir, I think I can get the other screen on." Junk stated, continuing to mash away at some buttons. A moment later, the screen flared to life, though there was little to be seen. They could see a pipe dripping some for of liquid, and some fresh looking blood stains, but nothing more._ _ _ _

____One of the guards seemed frustrated. "She's not here? We've wasted our time."_ _ _ _

____"No, wait. Look." Shade stated, having not taken his eyes off the spot. "See the drippings off that pipe. They're not making it to the ground, but their hitting something."_ _ _ _

____"Hey, you're right." Vos stated. Beside him, Joha nodded in agreement._ _ _ _

____"I'd be willing to bet our _jet'ikas _in that cell." Stunner, of all people stated. He got a few strange looks from his brothers.___ _ _ _

______"You figure out where it's at, Junk?"_ _ _ _ _ _

______Junk was still mashing away, but nodded. "Sending the directions to you now, Captain." He patted the man on the shoulder, before signalling to the remainder of his men. They would have their jedi back soon._ _ _ _ _ _

______They had to go down a maze of halls and dead ends in order to find the room. He could hear the grumbling from some of the men behind them. Shade figured it was the guards._ _ _ _ _ _

______"So, how do'ya figure we get through that door, Cap? It'll take a while to crack the lock since Junks not with us." Sketch stated._ _ _ _ _ _

______Shade sighed, figuring out pretty quickly where this was going. "I have an idea." He took a few deep breaths, wondering if Kenobi would have an issue with what he was about to do. It's not exactly like he'll be able to hide it this time._ _ _ _ _ _

______A moment later he had made up his mind. His jedi was more important that whatever would happen to him. He holstered his weapons, and reached for the 'saber at his belt. The motion to turn it on and flick the lock with it was smoother than he would have expected, and the weapon was back on his belt a moment later._ _ _ _ _ _

______The door creaked open, leading them to what seemed to be an even darker room, if that was even possible. If it wasn't for their night vision, they would have missed the few signs of life. Then, a soft, low whine was heard, and the smallest of shuffles. It took his men a moment to follow him, but it was soon discovered that Shade needed that moment to compose himself._ _ _ _ _ _

______Shade was forced to comm Junk, and have him turn the lights on. He was discouraged when he got some static back on the line, and knew they wouldn't be able to reach Jink and the ship from here. He couldn't see a thing like this, as Syntrian was obviously hiding. Junk had the lights on after a moment, and he was able to remove his helmet. The captain was stunned at what he saw._ _ _ _ _ _

______The jedi was very nearly unconscious, and hardly seemed lucid. The captain crouched down, getting a better look yes, but also to remove the bindings that had cut into her wrists._ _ _ _ _ _

______"You two, head back up, make sure Jinx is prepared. He'll have his work cut out for him this time." Vos and Joha rushed off a moment later, leaving just the three of them. Shade tried to figure out the best way to go about this. From just what he could see, she had multiple open, infected wounds, and her chest was all torn up from something. Her leg looked like it had very nearly been snapped in half, and she looked like she hadn't eaten since she went missing._ _ _ _ _ _

______He did what he could to pick her up gently, hoping he wasn't hurting her too much, and slipping his helmet back on. It was as he started to head back up, that he heard the faintest of whispers. The captain couldn't help the shadow of a smile that graced his features in that moment._ _ _ _ _ _


	58. Chapter 58

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s been a bit, but have a chapter since I had some spare time to type one up.
> 
> *Now with correct chapter.

Jinx wasn't exactly sure where to start when the jedi was brought to him. She looked half dead, and Jinx wasn't entirely certain he would be successful. If this were a battlefield, and she one of the vod, Jinx would have probably went to go help another vod instead. But this wasn't a battlefield, and this was his commander. So he took a moment to focus himself and figured out where to start. 

He began by getting her hooked up to the various machines and such, making sure he could monitor her and hopefully keep her alive. He cursed the moment he found she was burning up, and wished he had some help. Normally, he would have at least two others helping him with something this bad. Jinx was alone on the ship in that regard. 

A few moments later and he had the door locked, and was completely prepped with a pot of caff brewing in the background. He began by administering pain meds and other important fluids into her IV, and grabbing his tools. The medic decided the best place to start would be to clean out the wounds he could see, figuring the infection would kill her before anything else. 

The man cursed in surprise when a rather large rodent scurried out of a flap of what use to be a breast and into the vents. It took him a moment to regain his composure. He would have to mention that later, and wasn't looking forward to it. 

He started with the padawan's chest, knowing it would take the longest and would be the most difficult, as if an infection got too deep there it would very quickly make it to her heart and other organs. He nearly winced when he touched the area, and various fluids spilled out.

"Well, that's not good." He mumbled to himself.

Obi-wan was still reeling from what had happened. The condition that his padawan was in was worrying. He wanted to try to help her, but Jinx had locked everyone else out. Yet there was something bothering him. Obi-wan could feel something else, almost like there was another mind on the ship that they didn't know about. He sighed, having to make a report to the council and would have to speak with minister Zerek before that. 

But before that, he would have to check in with the men. He would imagine that they were angry. Angry that their Commander had been treated like that, and angry that they weren't able to stop it. It was a wonder that they hadn't killed the man they had been tasked with transporting back to the capital. Force knows Cody and the 212th would have at least made an attempt by now if it was him who was like that. 

Either way, Obi-wan was in contact with Zerek by the time they landed. The minister was more than happy to let them deal with the man, stating that it was the victim that sentenced their attackers here. Obi-wan thanked him, and informed him that he would have to speak to the council and get his padawan back to their temple, as he knew it would take a while for her to recover. The minister was kind enough to offer them safety if they ever needed it. He bid the minister farwell, the holo flickering away after a moment. 

Then he set the long range comms to contact the council. It took them a few moments to respond, the only ones that seemed to respond were Master Yoda, and Mace. Obi-wan figured they were wondering why he was contacting them so soon. 

"Master Kenobi, something to say, have you?"

Obi-wan sighed. "I thought it important to inform you, we'll be returning to the Jedi temple as soon as possible. We've managed to find Syntrian, though she's in serious condition. From what I could see, it will take her a while to recover. Minister Zerek has also offered us the man who had kidnapped her, as well as a few explanations for what could have happened."

"A shame." Mace stated, surprising Kenobi. "We had hoped to send her on to Geonosis ahead of the main force. Her skills as a spy would have been helpful and she would have been able to take command if needed. We'll have to rethink our plan."

Obi-wan smirked. "And here I thought you didn't trust my padawan to do such things."

"Let's just say her recent victories have changed some of what we knew about her." Mace seemed sincere enough.

"A matter, that is, for another time." Yoda interrupted. "Our first priority, Young Kirimoto should be. Bring her in, you should. Watch her, we can, while on your next assignment, you are."

Kenobi was slightly disappointed that he wouldn't be able to stay with her for the time, but he knew the cost of war. "I understand. We should be there within a couple rotations."

"We'll be awaiting your arrival." Mace stated, cutting the conversation off. Obi-wan sighed.

"Sir." It was the captain. "Jinx reported in. He believes that he's managed to stabilize Syntrian, though he's not certain how long it will take for her to regain consciousness. Jinx wanted us to know that he'll most likely be working on her for several hours yet, and not to disturb him until he's done. He also told me that apparently there's a rodent running around the ship, and that it ran into the vents about two hours ago." 

Obi-wan was back into his General Kenobi mold in an instant. "Thank you, Captain. It seems like we have some more work to do."

Shade hesitated for a few moments, conflicted. He wouldn't hesitate if this was his own jedi, but he had to admit the rest of them were still a bit of a mystery to him.

"Something wrong, captain?" The jedi asked. 

He swallowed any hesitation, "Sir, with all due respect, you need to rest. I don't believe you've slept more than a couple hours in the past four days, and worrying over my commander is not going to help you. The boys and I can handle it, so don't make me lock you in a room to get you to rest."

Kenobi's steady gaze changed for just a moment. "Cody put you up to this, didn't he." Shade merely nodded. "I assure you, Captain, I'm fine. There are many things I need to finish before we arrive back on Coruscant, and I intend to do them." The jedi took a single step, before being stopped.

"Sir. You need to rest. Jinx is willing to sedate you if he must. Now, get some rest, sir, and I won't have to bother him." Kenobi seemed to weigh his options. After a moment, he sighed, and conceded. Shade doubted the man would really rest, but it was a start. He watched the elder of the two jedi head down to his quarters, and actually went in. 

Meanwhile, Shade had a multitude of things he needed to get done. 

"Sketch, Stunner." He commed. "You two have until we reach Coruscant to catch the pest running around the ship. If you fail, I'm assigning you KP duty for a week." He chuckled as the two suddenly shot up, crashing into things here and there. Then the captain went back to his own quarters to get a start on his own work. 

The captain sighed, settling in for a long night. He stripped off the top part of his armor, figuring he wasn't going anywhere for awhile. He looked over the first of his several datapads. It was from when they first go to Vindissu. That, sure as hell, seemed like a long time ago. No matter, he settled in and got to work. 

Jinx all but collapsed into a chair after nearly a full day. He promised himself that he was just taking a short break, he deserved it. Then he would have to go and make sure everything was put away, cleaned, or right in place. He also had to take stock of what was left and write up a report, while keeping an eye on the now sleeping jedi. 

He had so much to do, so he should really be getting up. Get some Caff and start on the countless tasks he still has to do. Yet it was hard to get up. Perhaps if he just shut his eyes for a moment?


	59. Chapter 59

Neither Shade nor Obi-wan were able to hold back the grins they held when they went to go check on their medic and _jet'ika. _Syntrian seemed to be sleeping well, though she was very nearly covered in bacta patches. Though, the more interesting view was the medic, who was currently fast asleep, and very nearly falling out of his chair. The decided to let them rest for a while yet, as they wouldn't be landing for a couple hours yet.__

__

__I was still tired when I was able to wretch my eyes open. I was stiff, and still in pain, but the blinding white I was met with was worse. I tried to reach out using the force, try to figure out where I was. Yet I found it difficult. I took a few minutes of effort to get my gaze to focus. It was only then when I realized I was back in the halls of healing. I was able to look around a little, but the fact that I haven't been able to move much wasn't helping._ _

__I was surprised to catch Jinx speaking with one of the jedi healers. They must have been speaking of me, Jinx would never have been allowed in here otherwise. Eventually, the two of them came over to me, and Jinx was kind enough to replace my holotitles. It was a relief, as it's been a while since I got anything like that._ _

__"Sir, it's good to see you awake. again." Jinx greeted, He seemed stiffer than normal. Was it due to our location?_ _

__"...Jinx..." I wasn't even sure if he could hear me, and my voice was scratchy as hell._ _

__He just smiled though, and kept on. "It'll be a while yet until you're fully healed. The boys and I have been assigned our next mission with General Kenobi, and as such, I was asked to inform them of whatever they needed in regards to treating you. Turns out they didn't have much on you, and your weird force thing was throwing them off." He made a couple of hand gestures that I only barely caught, and bid me farewell, stating he hoped I would be back soon._ _

__I felt myself being pulled under again as he left._ _

__

__The next time I was aware of my surrounding, I forced myself up and groaned in the attempt. The stiffness in my limbs made the task difficult, but I didn't want to stay here longer than needed. I looked around, and nobody was within sight. I tried reaching out again, and was relieved when I was able to do so. It seemed like there was a group about ten or so feet off, though I'm sure someone would be coming to check on me soon._ _

__I took the moment to get some of the stiffness out, and look myself over. I paused just a moment, noting the flatness now where my boobs use to be. I suppose I expected that. I kept going, noting a few things here and there, little else sticking out as much. I was still shaking the sleep from my body when someone came in, startling me._ _

__"I see you're awake." If I remember correctly, the twi'lek before me was the Chief healer. What was her name again? I'm not too sure._ _

__"Your men have informed me of some of the nuances of your force abilities. I admit that it's made things difficult for us." She paused, trying to judge my reaction. "Nonetheless, we have been able to continue with your treatment. You should be back into this force damned war within a month. Until then, I expect that you'll listen to what I tell you." I got the feeling that that last sentence was aim directly at my dislike for being in a medbay. I could feel her cold gaze on me, as if wanting me to just try to escape._ _

__

__A week later and I was allowed to walk around the smaller room I had been moved to, well, at least as much as I could. I was growing bored, having finished the remaining reports I had three days ago and not being allowed to do any training. I longed to hear from my men, if only to know they were alright. They were with Buir right? So they should be fine?_ _

__I wished I had something to do, other than sit here. Hell, healer Che was even limiting what I was allowed to do with the force. I did what I could though, and challenged myself to keep a small area around me seen using the force. The space was hardly bigger than this room, but healer Che would get mad at me again if I went any bigger._ _

__Then the door slide open, and I was surprised to see master Yoda walking in. I took a seat on the edge of my bed, and waited for the small master to start._ _

__"Been a while, it has, since I was last able to speak with you." He seemed almost, saddened by that?_ _

__"Did you need something, master?"_ _

__He seemed to perk up, and caught my gaze with his own. "Wanted to see how you were, I did. An asset you are, to the jedi order." I raised an eyebrow, highly doubting that. "Yet, removed from the force, your old master tried to force on you. Thought, I did, perhaps we could change this."_ _

__"What do you mean? I had figured I was getting somewhere in that area." I stated, uncertain._ _

__He chuckled? "True, that may be. Your true potential, lost it is yet. Find it, we shall. Strong in the force, you should be."_ _

__"You mean I've got a long way to go yet?" That thought was discouraging, though I did what I could to push that aside._ _

__"Much to learn, you still have. Help you, I shall." He paused a moment. "Talked with master Che, I have. Agreed, we have. When not with her, find me you shall, and continue your training, we shall." He seemed to beam with the suggestion, and I was left with many questions. None of them were answered though, as the old master left by the time I had organized my thoughts._ _

__Master Che approached me later on, apparently wanting more than to just check on me. She went through her motions and strangely seemed to strike up some small talk. Apparently she had learned something, and felt like I should know. She continued to speak with me for a while. I was surprised with what she told me, but there was really nothing to respond to._ _

__Over all, Che seemed like she was getting what she wanted, though what exactly that was, I wasn't certain. I did wonder, however, why the chief healer was spending so much time on me. I was told that I seemed to be healing well, though it would take a bit yet to regain my strength and she was still worried about my weight. She left after a while and I was left with my thoughts once more._ _

__My thoughts turned to my men. They were some of my only friends, and I felt closer to them then almost anyone. I found myself longing to be out on the field, fighting. It's too peaceful, too quiet. The battles were were I felt at home, where I felt needed. At least there I didn't feel like I was failing anyone._ _

__The men need me. The need me to keep them safe, and to get them home. I would like to think that's why they came for me; I hope it was anyway. Those guys are my _aliit _, and I won't give them up that easily. I want to hurry back and get to them, but I'll have to get out of here first.___ _

____ _ _

____Everything seemed to be quiet after their latest mission, and though there were many injured, Shade was lucky to still have all his men. He credited Cody's quick thinking for getting them all out alive, especially after their gunship crashed and they were surrounded by enemies. Shade was glad the Cody had found him, though Shade was still reeling from the new marks on his helmet. He honestly didn't think he had done anything special to earn them, but he wasn't going to refuse._ _ _ _

____He was glad that they were back on the ship, where he could have a moment to think about things. He wondered how things would have gone if Syn was there with them, and he wondered how his boys were holding up. He chuckled a bit at that as after Jinx had gotten them fixed up, they had gone to the mess, excited about the recent addition to their captains helmet. It didn't matter though, as that was in the past. He had to look to the future for now, and figure out how to keep his men alive until their jedi returned._ _ _ _


	60. Chapter 60

It was nearly lunchtime when I was allowed to leave the medbay. Healer Che wanted me to try to eat something today, then I would be allowed to go to my extra lessons with master Yoda. I was glad for the chance to leave the halls of healing, though I wasn't certain what today would bring and that made me a bit nervous.

I got to the mess quick enough, though I seemed to be more tired than I would be normally. I guess that's what happens when you get taken prisoner for what I was told was a month. That was something to think through later though. For now, I had to find something to eat. 

The mess was still quiet at the moment, as most of the younglings were still in classes and the elder jedi seemed to be busy. I was thankful for that, as I wasn't really looking forward to the abundance of attention I was bound to draw. I always did. The masters didn't like me much, and made it abundantly clear. The younglings and some of the padawans always gave me strange looks. It could get unbearable some days.

I approached one of the elders that ran the mess. They smiled at me, and dug around for something. It took them a few minutes, but they eventually gave me a small tray, with little more than a few bites on it, as well as a single ration bar and a small cup of water. I sighed, but thanked them and took the tray. 

I was disappointed in what I had been given, but I doubted I would be given anything else. Over all, the meager meal went slowly, and the taste left much to be desired. I found myself disappointed in myself, having grown full after a few meger bites. I sat there, staring out on of the many large windows lining two of the walls. I let my thoughts wander, wondering about nothing specific. 

"You seem lost in thought." I was startled as someone came to sit beside me. I turned to see who it was, and was surprised when I noticed Tub beside me. He seemed concerned, 

"Tub, why are you here? I thought you would be out somewhere with Master Plo."

He seemed to lighten a bit, "We finished the mission we were on early, and my master thought that I would like the chance to see you." He paused a moment, taking a few bites off his own plate. "We had heard what happened to you, and I was glad that my master gave me some time to visit."

I had a lot of things I wanted to say to that. Not the least of which was that I didn't believe I deserved it. I guess I looked sad or something, as Tub decided that he wanted to wrap his tail around my arm. I was surprised, as that was the first time I had been touched by another person in nearly two months. He had a goofy grin on his face, and I was starting to find it hard to keep the frown on my face. 

"Did you really come here just to see me?" He nodded enthusiastically, and motioned to the jedi that was coming to join us. Tub still seemed rather enthusiastic, though I wasn't too certain how I felt. 

"I see you've managed to find her." Master Plo stated, also sitting with us. "How are you faring, Syntrian? Tub believes that you're taking this rather hard." Tub seemed to grow a bit less excitable, but he still tried to comfort me?

I thought for a moment, trying to figure out how to answer the jedi master. "I'll be alright." I began before blurting out more than I was going to. "It was nothing if not consistent. That's more than what I can say for the things I suffered at the hands of Vall." They stared at me for a moment, having expected a far different string of words to be accompanied by such bitterness. 

"Syn? You sure you'll be alright?" Tub seemed to grow a bit more concerned. I tried to reassure him, though I wasn't sure it worked out.

I attempted to give him a warm smile, though I doubt it worked. "I'll be fine, Tub. You know me." He stayed silent this time, but wrapped his tail tighter around my arm. 

"To hear such bitterness aimed at one's master, did Master Zelvex truly deserve it?" Master Plo inquired. 

I thought for a moment, wondering how to answer. "There were days I wondered if he had turned,and was simply using me to practice. I would wonder sometimes, if things could have been different. When the war started, I was ecstatic, though it was followed closely by guilt. He was terrible to me, but he turned most of it to the men. I found myself hoping that something would happen, that somehow, the war would take him and leave the rest of us unscathed." I paused, thinking. "I know the things he said to you all, all those things that made him seem like the force itself had sent him. But the reality was, he treated me like I imagined a sith would treat their apprentice." He was silent for the longest time, as if he was having trouble understanding what I said. I had to take a sip, as my throat was growing scratchy again. I wasn't used to talking so much.

"I see," He stated after a while, "Tell me, how is Master Kenobi treating you?" If I could see his eyes, they would be sparked with curiosity. 

I sighed, uncertain, though apparently forgetting to think before I spoke. " _Buir _does what he can, though he seems to forget more often than not that he should be training me. He had planned to work with me some more during our free time on our last mission, but that didn't quite work out. In fact, I feel that I spend more time with the men than he does even remembering that I'm around."__

__The Kel Dor master chuckled at my phrasing, but sighed heavily, "It seems we need to have a talk with him. I shall contact him later, for now, I've been asked to accompany you to your lesson today." That was a surprise, to me and Tub both._ _

__

__The trip was not very long, though I was finding myself just as winded as my trip to get to the mess. I sighed, knowing it would take time to build my stamina back up. Master Plo sent me a wave of assurance though, and it calmed my still frayed emotions. We entered a room I had never even seen before. Master Yoda was waiting, perched on one of the seats sitting alone in the room. Master Plo beckoned me to follow him inside, and motioned for me to sit on one of the free seats, and took one himself._ _

__I wasn't sure what was going to happen, and I was still a bit nervous. Master Yoda hummed briefly as we got seated. It took him a few, tense only to me, moments to speak._ _

__"Time it is, to begin." His gaze seemed to look through me and I wasn't sure I liked that. "Different, the force feels around you. If you would, the force around you, explain it." Master Plo sat silently, yet I could feel his curiosity._ _

__"The force around me? What do you mean?" I asked, uncertain. The small master sent a glance over to the taller man. They seemed to understand some form of conversation around them._ _

__The Kel Dor was the one to answer. "Let's rephrase this, shall we. You've at least been able to feel some force signatures, correct?"_ _

__"Yea," I nodded. "Master Kenobi was trying to get me to use the force to see around me, and I was able to get a glimpse of a couple, including my own." They seemed surprised by that._ _

__"Fascinating, would you mind explaining how they felt?" He inquired. I considered for a moment, wondering where to start. I wondered about something, and decided to check out their signitures before I spoke. It was interesting to say the least._ _

__"Most of you feel mostly the same to me. I tend to get a mass of controlled chaos that overlaps a person. There are usually little differences from person to person, but it's not much." The door slid open, and Windu strolled in, taking a seat on the last of the open seats, yet it took me by surprise a bit. "One exception seems to be Master Windu. Over top of the chaos, it's like there's a sheet of glass, only it's cracking, radiating from one central point. Yet I don't know of anyone who's got a signature anything like mine."_ _

__They seemed surprised, though one of them inquired further. "And what do you feel like? In your mind?"_ _

__"Myself?" I paused, uncertain of how this would go. "When I was training with Master Kenobi, I caught a glimpse of what almost seemed to be a glitch in the force. The only thing, is that it seems to start taking over the force signitures of anyone I'm around a lot." They talked amongst themselves for a few moments, though I only caught a few bits. They were trying to figure out what to make of it._ _


	61. Chapter 61

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I admittedly haven't written in a few weeks I think, but I have a couple chapters already written. Hope you enjoy. :}

"Padawan, now that Master Che has released you to your quarters, I'll be taking you there. I assume you weren't aware since you don't spend a lot of time here, but we had your things moved to Master Kenobi's quarters a while ago." One of the Master's I wasn't familiar with stated, leading me down the maze of halls. I was glad that I wasn't going to be forced to go back to my old quarters, though I did wonder why they bothered to move me. 

Eventually, we stopped at a door, and they handed me a datapad before leaving. I let myself in and took a look around. It seems that Buir had little in the way of furnishings, though not many in the order do. He did, however, have a small assortment of plants; how they were still alive was a mystery. 

A bit more exploration brought me to the small kitchen hidden nearly in the back. Snooping around only found tea. So much tea... Maybe I should go look elsewhere? Something caught my gaze, its glint reflecting the sunset. Getting a closer look, it seemed to be a trinket of some sort, though I wasn't too sure what. It was small and metallic?

I put it down, and went to figure out which of these rooms were mine. I stumbled across Obi-wan's first, and I wasn't certain I should have. It felt sad? What could have possibly caused this? The little I understood of the force, meant that he must be suffering if his space feels like this.

I had to pull myself away, forcing myself to close that door so I could stop feeling that crashing wave of emotion. I turned around, and finally managed to find my room. There were only a few crates of stuff, mostly spare robes and training equipment. I hadn't been allowed much, though I should still have a couple datapads somewhere in here. 

"Padawan Kirimoto, Master Yoda wishes to see you." I jumped as they came up behind me. 

"Master, I'm sorry, I didn't realise you were here." I turned to see the smiling face of Master Fisto. 

He chuckled. "It's quite alright, there's nothing to apologize for. I didn't mean to startle you." He sent a brief moment of calm towards me in an attempt to get me to calm. 

“It’s fine. I should really get going.” 

“It’s no rush, besides you can walk with me, I’m heading that way anyway.” His smile was still there. I felt it was more command than suggestion, even though he wasn’t the type to do that. 

The walk over was louder than I would have thought. I had a couple youngling a run up to me excitedly, and I got a couple glances from some of the older padawans. Master Fisto was telling me a story about some planet or other, I wasn’t paying much attention. He didn’t seem to care though, as he just kept talking. 

It was about then when I noted that we were heading towards some of the classrooms for the younglings. I didn’t see Master Yoda here, but master Fisto began to explain that I was going to help with one of the classes today. I had no idea why I would be allowed to do such, nor why they would want me. 

He left me in front of an open door, and went on his way. Apprehension bubbled up even as I felt the warm greetings coming off the old master. He beckoned me to join him, and I soon found myself in from of a group of about ten younglings despite my unsteady feelings. 

“Younglings, today, a visitor we have. Help to open your minds to the possibilities, she will.” Oh is that all? How the kark am I suppose to do that. He sent me a force suggestion, wanting me to look over them with the force. I sent a question back, but did as I was told. It only took me a moment, and soon I could the whole room. I was surprised when I noticed that one child in the back had a force ability. I got only amusement from the elder Jedi. 

I felt all eyes on me as I wonder what the hell I was suppose to tell them. I though Master Yoda was going to help me strengthen my connection to the force, not teach a class. He was waiting patiently until I figured out this lesson. Ugg. I wouldn't have to go through this if I had a better grasp of my own abilities. Wait. 

“Imagine, if you would younglings,” I started, earning an amused chuckle from the Jedi beside me. “You were able to use the force to produce something similar to a cloaking device. How would you use it?” They seemed eager, and it wasn’t long until the first couple answers came in. 

“You could cloak a ship!” Somebody stated excitedly. The child in question seemed to be the youngest, perhaps 5 at most. 

The next child was only slightly less excited. “You could hide yourself easy.” There were a few more murmurs, before the boy in the back got enough courage to speak. 

“Master?” He addressed to Yoda. “With enough practice, couldn’t you figure out how to make it seem like your not even a Jedi?” He spoke with more wisdom than I would have expected for on a child of seven. He was a smart one, though he seemed to almost curl back into himself when he didn’t get a reply right away. Yoda looked to me to answer him. 

I tried to give a warm smile, hoping to hid my nerves. “How do you think that would work, young one?” He took a moment to answer, surprise evident. 

“I um...” he was nervous again, and I assume that master Yoda sent a wave of calm toward him. “Given that you could control when you cloak and how much, it shouldn't be hard to think you could do the same, but with umm..” he trailed off, uncertain. I was wondering what his interests were that he could come up with this. 

It took him a moment to speak again, “The midi... Midichlorians. It might be possible to figure out how to mask most of them. Maybe.” Yoda chuckled, and I think he was pleased with what he heard. They went in for something like ten or maybe fifteen minutes, throwing out ideas and occasionally beings asked to elaborate. Eventually, Master Yoda changed the topic to force abilities in general. 

Eventually, Master Yoda ended the class, and took the chance to walk me back to my quarters. I was thrown off by the fact that everyone seemed to be escorting me. It felt like I was in trouble for something. 

“Learned something today, have you?” He asked once we were about halfway there. 

I took a moment to organize my thoughts. “I’m not sure, but I do think that it gave me a bigger range of things I could attempt.” He chuckled. 

“Do or do not, there is no try.” I wasn’t certain what to say to that and the old master gave me no insight. It was silent once more, though it was less awkward than the last few. 

Later on, I was left to my own devices on the still unfamiliar room. I didn’t really have anything to cover the bare walls, and the things I did own were too small to do much. 

I sighed, and decided to meditate. Perhaps I could start here? It’s never a bad thing to strengthen ones connection to the force, right? I decided to see what my limits were first. 

I took a moment to get comfortable and let the force wash over me. Letting my consciousness spread was a bit harder. Soon though, I was aware of everything in my small room. The spider crawling in the corner, and the dust settling over the still untouched furniture. 

Then I decided to kick it up a bit. I cast my awareness over the quarters as a whole. I could feel the life coming off _Buir's _plants, and the few bugs that lived there. Soon, I could feel the presence of those in the next room over. One of the masters I didn’t know was having a lesson with their padawan. A moment later and I was aware of nearly everything.__

__A headache was starting to form, but I pushed on. I wanted to see how much more I could handle. I went bigger still, and found myself seeing the next quarters over. Bigger again, and I was seeing the whole floor. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I still had a pretty good idea of what was going on. A bit more maybe?_ _

__It flickered out and I was left alone. I suppose that’s my limit for the moment. For now, I should focus on keeping it up in my immediate area, perhaps just big enough to cover the quarters? Yeah that seems good. Let’s do it!_ _


	62. Chapter 62

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well here you go. Enjoy Plo being a dad? and Tub being far too sweet for his own good.

_I was running, trying to find someone, something. Was this a battle? I'm being shot at, but nothings hitting it's mark. Several shots glanced off my armor, and I could hear several sets of footsteps behind me. I turned for just a moment, and found my squad. They seemed to be running with me, so why were we getting shot at?_

_Then I noticed who was doing the shooting and my eyes went wide. My own battalion was shooting at us? I watched in horror as my squad started to get mowed down, one falling after another until it was just me left. A bomb was thrown my way, and I watched as it landed mere feet from me._

_Then, pain as I was thrown back, dust filling my breaths. I lost my helmet then. I was still trying to catch my breath when a trooper came up to me. There was hesitation in his gaze, but in the end he pulled the trigger. ___

__

__I woke in a cold sweat, breathing labored. What the hell was that? And who were all those troopers? They weren't 212th, and they sure as hell weren't 501st. Come to think of it, what was I wearing? Why wasn't my squad affected by whatever it was that that had the others shooting me?_ _

__I looked over, noting that crono on the other side of the room. 2:43 am. Kriff. I sighed, knowing I wouldn't sleep more tonight. I haven't slept more than a few hours in a while. I got up, figuring I may as well do something if I'm going to be up. The soft glow coming from the living area made it easy to move around; the only reason it was on was because I found that I couldn't stand dark, enclosed spaces. It reminded me too much of the previous month._ _

__Despite it having been a week since I had been released from the medics, I still wasn’t allowed to do certain things. And I sure wasn’t looking forward to the mind healer they insisted I see in the next couple days. I’ve had enough people in my head for a while._ _

__I may as well do some training. I concentrated, bringing up the targets I had made, the force singing in approval. I grabbed my pair of modified blasters. I had messed with a different pair, somehow managing to make them shoot tiny paint filled pellets instead. They made less noise, a good thing considering I didn’t want to draw the attention._ _

__A deep breath, and I brought out my awareness. I sent my ‘sabers flying, and took aim. It was already a bit rough, but I would do it. The next step was to hit the targets. Breath. Keep the ‘sabers moving. Aim. Fire. Repeat. Aim, fire, repeat. Aim..._ _

__Someone entered, disrupting my concentration. I sighed, putting my targets and weapons away. This was not the place for training, not when others are around. The Jedi would almost certainly have an issue with this. Most didn’t seem to be nearly as open minded as _Buir. _____

____“Master Plo?” Why was he here?_ _ _ _

____He was within sight a moment later. “Padawan Kirimoto. Tub asked me to check on you. He said he felt something coming off you and was worried. I did not expect you to be awake when I found you.”_ _ _ _

____”’M sorry, master. I just don’t sleep much anymore.”_ _ _ _

____He seemed to think for a moment, piecing things together. “It seems we have been cruel to you once more. I imagine it wouldn’t do to keep you by yourself. Come, you may sleep in our quarters.” He gave off such a wave of warmth and welcoming that I wasn’t sure what to do with it. I had to take a moment to process his offer, and it gave him the time to take a look around the room._ _ _ _

____“I.. I guess it wouldn’t hurt...” I mumbled eventually. He seemed to grow a bit softer, and I soon found myself following him. The halls were quiet, most people still asleep. Apparently, their quarters weren't that far off. We entered, only for me to be knocked over by a rather concerned ball of fur._ _ _ _

____"Syn! I was worried. You felt like you were being swallowed by the dark side." He finally got off me, though he wasn't quiet calm. Soon enough, we were inside, and the door was locked. Still, I wasn't entirely sure how to process all this. It made more sense when I was around my vode, at least I knew how they would react most of the time._ _ _ _

____Master Plo sighed, and went further in, beckoning us to follow. "Since it seems we'll all be missing sleep tonight, why don't you tell me what it is that has us all up." He didn't seem angry, or even inconvenienced. In fact, he sent Tub off to get some tea started. I swallowed hard, wondering how I should even start. Should I even start? Master Plo has been rather understanding, right? So it should be fine?_ _ _ _

____"I... I'm not sure. I thought it might have been a dream, but it was so real so maybe it was a vision?" He seemed thoughtful, and took that in well enough._ _ _ _

____"I take it you don't get them often."_ _ _ _

____I shook my head. "I've never had one. Not until now, at least." He gave me a moment to see if I would say more. "I can't help but wonder if it's connected to the training I've been doing. I was never allowed to strengthen my connection to the force for the majority of my padawanship..." I trailed off, unsure as to where I was going with that. It was about then when Tub returned with the tea, and I was surprised. Either he was fast at making it, or more time had passed than I thought._ _ _ _

____"That's not the only thing bothering you." He stated wisely. I wasn't sure I was ready to answer that. That would just mean I would be breaking down here, and that wasn't something I was prepared to do right now. The only answer I gave was a small shake of my head._ _ _ _

____Tub handed me a cup, and proceed to wrap his tail around my arm again. "Syn, you know you can trust me, right?"_ _ _ _

____"I know, Tub. I just don't think I can talk about it right now. Not most of it anyway." He seemed to understand, and just wrapped his tail a bit tighter. The act earned him a glimpse of a smile._ _ _ _

____Apparently figuring that this conversation wasn't going anywhere, Master Plo changed the subject. "Kirimoto, are you aware that the council is trying to figure out what we can do with you?"_ _ _ _

____"Is that good or bad?" I mumbled after a moment. It always seemed that I was in trouble with them for some reason._ _ _ _

____He chuckled? "Your abilities have been the main focus. From what we've gathered these past couple weeks, and the few things Tub has told me, you have a great potential in the force. Some members of the council don't know how to handle that. Others are still trying to find reason to remove you, but that number is dwindling." I gave my friend a curious glance, wondering what he could have told the masters that I already didn't know._ _ _ _

____"May I ask what brought this all about?" I was still a bit nervous, but it was steadily fading._ _ _ _

____He paused a moment, "Your apparent ability to distinguish those born with a force ability is the recent one. Your strength in battle and ability to rally your troops as well." I got pride coming off Tub? Oddly, it felt like exhaustion was starting to set in. I tried pushing it away, and only partially succeeded._ _ _ _

____“It’s a shame then, that the council doesn’t seem to like me very much.” This got a stunned silence from the Kel Dor master._ _ _ _

____I wasn’t quite sure what he was feeling. “The council doesn’t dislike you, Kirimoto. Some of them are having a hard time believing they were wrong about you, but the majority have begun to see your brilliance. Master Vall was a respected member of the order. A few have a hard time thinking he was wrong.” I yawned, uncertain of how to react to that._ _ _ _

____A few minutes passed in silence, as I struggled to stay awake. I didn’t want to have another nightmare. A thought crossed my slowly fogging mind._ _ _ _

____“I don’t... want...” I mumbled, “head away...”_ _ _ _

____ _ _

____Plo watched the obviously tired padawan fall deep asleep, not without help mind you. He was almost certain that Tub had slipped some sort of drug into her drink, but he wouldn’t bring it up._ _ _ _

____He was more concerned with the fact that she seemed to be scared. The master Jedi watched the two for a moment, wondering what exactly happened to her._ _ _ _

____“Master!” Tub squeaked. “I think Syn’s getting a fever.” The young lurmen was obvious distraught at the thought._ _ _ _

____The master got up, and went to see for himself. Sighing, he found that it was true. It would seem she's picked up at least one of Kenobi's bad habits. Of all of them, why did she have to get the one that keeps her from seeking help when it's needed?_ _ _ _

____“Perhaps we should take her to the healers then.” He tested, wondering how his padawan would react._ _ _ _

____“Syn doesn’t like healers. She would be mad at us when she woke.” He countered quickly._ _ _ _

____The Kel Dor chuckled. “Quite right. I shall take the first watch, go get some rest.”_ _ _ _

____”Master.” Tub stated. “I would like the first shift if that’s alright.” Plo smiled, though it was hidden, and simply nodded to the boy. He would no doubt have to speak to the council about this when he got the chance, if only so that he had the chance to tell Kenobi the state of his padawan. He let out a smirk as he finally made it to his quarters and was able to remove his mask and go to sleep, the air changing to something he could breath as the door closed._ _ _ _


	63. Chapter 63

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. Just make sure you’ve read the last chapter just in case you missed it. I posted these two together but I deleted the prologue.

It wasn’t until a few days later, when Syntrian was summoned to the council chambers. Her recovery was going well, and they had a mission they had to send her on. They watched as she entered, looking for any sign that she was unready for a mission. They were impressed that she seemed to hold her own, hiding any signs she was scared. 

“Padawan,” Windu began. “How do you feel.” It was more statement than question. 

“I’ll be fine.” She muttered, almost like she was trying to convince herself of that. The council let that go though. 

“A mission for you, we have.” The oldest master began. 

“There’s a Jedi killer running around Coruscant. We want you to remove him.”

”Remove? How?” Syntrian was obviously interested. 

“Kill him if you must, but we would prefer if you could bring him in to face justice.” A few moments of silence followed. 

“Why me?” She asked quietly. The masters glanced at each other. 

Then, Windu spoke once more. “We’ve sent others in the past, but none have returned. Whoever’s doing this is obviously good enough to cause problems for us. Our main problem right now is that we can’t even seem to find him. He’s been selling of the lightsabers of his victims on the black market. We’ve been able to get most of them back, but until this is solved, we have to keep diverting resources away from the war.” Syntrian gave them a look, suddenly figuring out why they have a reputation of being warmongers. 

“Alright, but why me specifically?”

It was master Plo that answered next. “Your force ability.” He stated simply. “You can’t hide from something you don’t know is there.” He had a knowing smirk to him. 

“When finished you are, return to Master Kenobi, you can.” Syntrian seemed to perk up somewhat at the thought, though many of the council members wouldn’t be able to figure out the real reason. 

“Alright. What do we know about them?” The council seemed pleased with that answer.

One of the masters spoke next. "We've arranged for you to meet with one of the interrogators working on the case. You should be able to get all the info you need. Master Plo shall escort you." It irritated Syntrian slightly, but the council was none the wiser. They only spoke a few more sentences before the Kel Dor Jedi lead the padawan out of the room. 

They walked for a while, though it wasn't nearly as tense as it was only this morning. Syntrian supposed she should be grateful. Plo had explaining that she had more or less gave herself a fever from the concoction of ways she wasn't take care of herself. Plo was frustrated that she had picked that up from her masters. If she would focus more on staying alive she would be able to grow so much more.

She hesitated briefly when they entered, feeling something wasn't quite right. She had never been this far down in the temple before, and hadn't even known there was something here. Syntrian kept following the Jedi master further and further, until they finally came to a much larger room than the rest. 

The door opened, and the padawan froze, visibly flinching. Master Plo noticed this, though it took him a bit longer to figure out why than he would have liked. The newest addition to their interrogation and intelligence department was the one to meet them, a small creature though impressive at his post. They had learned his species communicated through telepathy, not uncommon itself, but they had a harder time with humanoids. 

It was then when he noticed Syntrian shaking ever so slightly, gaze locked on the furry blob before her. 

‘Hello again!’ It broadcasted. ‘Ntjahn at your service!’ 

“You’ve settled in quiet nicely, Ntjahn. Would you tell Padawan Kirimoto about the Padawan slayer?” Said Padawan was still frozen in place, and the master Jedi had to go calm her down a bit before they could continue.

The Kel Dor sighed, but upon hearing the mumbles streaming from her mouth, he began to understand a bit more. What ever happened, Ntjahn had some history with her, and it definitely wasn’t good. Was this why she hadn’t wanted to see the mind healer?

”It seems we’ll need a different plan. Ntjahn, it seems we’ll need all the information you have on a data pad.” He squeaked indignantly but did as he was told. In the meantime, he needs to get Syntrian to calm down. Plo would admit, he wasn’t too sure how, usually he would be sending suggestions through the force, yet he got the feeling that would only make things worse. 

“Padawan?” He coaxed, making little progress. “Kirimoto?” 

A few hours later, and I was back in my quarters. I felt shame for letting myself crack like that in front of them. They didn’t need to know that. It’s just that when I saw him again, I was taken by panic. 

No, that’s not productive. I should be focusing on the mission ahead of me. I looked over the pad I was given. We didn’t have much to go on, other than two important facts. 

Firstly, they seemed to be able to defeat Padawans in lightsaber combat. This was strange enough, as the majority of them were senior padawans and not easily beaten. Whoever it is must be a hell of a fighter. Perhaps they could even be a former padawan themselves as unlikely as it may seem. 

Secondly they’re selling the sabers they get on the black market. Meaning they have connections. Lightsabers are illegal to buy and sell, as are kyber crystals. This may cause more of an issue than the other one. 

Still, it raises the question of how they manage to locate them in the dense crowds of the city. It takes skill to deceive a skill force user, or at least it should. It's odd, a jedi usually trained themselves for years to be able to sense such dangers. Speaking of, It seems Tub just rolled in. I wonder what he wants?

He set a pile of datapads down next to where I was working, then tugged on my arm a bit. I gave off the shadow of a smile, but followed him. I never quite knew what to expect when he got like this. He ended up leading me through the halls, eventually coming out at the temple gardens. I was surprised, though I wasn't sure why we were here. Tub climbed up and perched himself on my shoulders, then had me go to the single tree standing proudly in the center. 

He hopped of and I followed him up, still uncertain as to his aim. He had a grin adorning his features by the time I got there. 

"Wanna tell me what's going on?" He still had that goofy grin on his face as he curled his tail around my arm once more. 

He seemed a bit sad when he spoke, "You've seemed rather down recently. I wanted to see you smile again before Master Plo and I leave in a few days."

"You're being sent out again?"

He nodded, "We're suppose to be heading the the outer rim, but that's not why I dragged you out here." There were strong waves of something pouring off him. My best guess would have been some form of affection, though I still struggled to identify those. I sighed, and looked around. This particular place was an odd one for me. I could remember some of the older children picking on me when I was younger, but I'm pretty sure this is where I met Tub. 

"You still remember, right? The crechmasters were trying to give a lesson on the living force, but all anyone wanted to do was play."

I giggled, "Cras and Zantru wanted to see who was stronger, most of the others were interested in their scuffle."

"You were over by those bushes," He pointed off towards a quieter section. "Grumbling about something while trying desperately to catch a bug or two."

"Yeah, until you came tumbling through the brush and on top of me." I teased, now smiling brightly. 

"You were so mad until you realised what happened. Then you shut yourself away. It took me nearly two weeks to get you to talk to me again."

I chortled at the image. "I never did get that bug, but I think I made out alright in the end. After all, I met you then." He felt light, and happy as he laughed with me. We stayed there for a while yet, completely losing track of time.


	64. Chapter 64

Shade was growing bored. There had been lucky to have gotten a week’s leave on Coruscant along with the 212th. He had finished all of his paperwork three days ago, and unlike some of the vode, he wasn’t interested in finding a bar or two. Junk and Jinx had all but kicked him out of the barracks, stating that whatever they were working on was a secret. he had been surprised, though he wasn't really sure what he expected when he saw how giddy the pair was. 

He had been trying to find something to occupy his time when he got a call from General Kenobi asking him to meet up with him at the senate building and to bring Cody along. It hadn't taken long to find the Commander, though neither had an idea of why Kenobi wanted to see them. Even less so why he wanted them at the senate building. It wasn't like either man had much experience dealing with politicians, and generally the senators saw them as a prize to collect or a droid to order around. Shade for one was most definitely not looking forward to this.

Nonetheless, the two arrived within the hour, and to their surprise, they caught sight of Kirimoto. Shade relaxed a bit, and was glad to finally see the Jett'ika again. Still he was curious why he was here. 

"I know you don't like it here, but the Senate requested the council's presence and it was decided that we were the ones to suffer through this."

He could have sworn the padawan growled. "Fine. But would you at least tell me why we're dragging the men along with us?"

The older man sighed. "For the last time, the Senate asked to see a member of the council and their commander. We assume that they wanted to make a remark of something, or perhaps to simply see how things are. Knowing them, they want to laugh and play nice for a bit as they've grown bored again." She almost seemed to pout, but followed Kenobi into the building. 

As the group walked through the halls, Cody by the General's side and Himself with Kirimoto a few feet behind, he couldn't help but notice the stiffness in the way Syntrian moved. It wasn't much, and most of the senators probably wouldn't be able to see it, but it was far from the way she moved on the battlefield. He had to admit, she seemed to have gotten much better at controlling her expressions in the past couple of months, it was going to become an issue unless he could learn fast. He made a note to ask her about her stiff posture later. 

Kenobi lead them to what seemed to be an open pod, High General Yoda waiting for them. The gremlin of a Jedi Master was amused by something only he knew of as they entered. The tiny jedi seemed to be looking them over, trying to find something. Shade tried to put it out of his mind. 

Then, he caught sight of his _jetii _. She was stiffer still, staring out ahead of her, the slightest hint of realisation and anger appearing on her features. Then, it was gone as soon as he noticed. He was curious as to what she saw that no one else either could or would. He briefly caught the amused gaze from the old jedi before the session began. It was just as boring as he assumed it would be. Someone was butthurt that someone did something and now they have to argue about it for who knows how long. The fact that they get anything done like this is a miracle.__

__Then, for kriff knows why, they wanted the Jedi's opinion on the war. Instead of taking over like the respectable jedi they are, the two master let Syntrian speak. Well, let was a bad way to explain it. They were basically forcing her. Shade would admit that while the start was a bit rocky, she did give a rather good speech, though how much of it got through to the brickheaded senators was a mystery._ _

__He did find it amusing though. They probably head something along the lines of needing this war to end and to get off all their asses. What Shade heard, and probably Cody, was that they needed to stop being dumb so that they could keep as many of the vode alive as possible because this war was taxing on everyone. Shade was impressed with the balls it would take for her to be doing this with so many eyes on her._ _

__Not soon enough for his liking, the damn thing ended, and they were finally able to leave. He knew Syntrian wouldn't start to relax until they were back on the ship, and he had the feeling it would be several hours yet until they got there. He happened to hear as the two masters were talking over something, but all he got out of it was something about a new weapon or something._ _

__Once they were able to go their separate ways, Cody and Kenobi went off to kriff knows where leaving the tree of them alone._ _

__"Captain, walk with us, I could use your help later anyway." He wasn't use to Her being so formal. He nodded but followed._ _

__"Something to say, have you?"_ _

__Syntrian sighed. "It's nothing new..." She seemed tired, as if this was a point she had tried to argue several times before, with no luck._ _

__"So sure are you, no one will listen."_ _

__"With all due respect, Master." She seemed a bit bitter. "No one's believed me before, so forgive me if I'm a bit slow to talk about it again." Now Shade was just confused. What could have possibly caused this? They seemed to be away from the senate building now, and they started to get a bit less cautious of what they said._ _

__"The dark side, our vision clouds."_ _

__Syntrian seemed annoyed. "But I've been telling you for years that it's focused on the senate building and the councils never believed me."_ _

__The old master chuckled as the group got into a speeder. "Thoughts of the majority, those are. Not always represent the whole, they do."_ _

__"And yet," She narrowed her eyes, "So often does the councils view on things seem clouded. Wouldn't you say that power, no matter how much, would be enough to blind someone to the possibilities?" He seemed amused, though Shade for one, was not expecting a philosophical argument to have started._ _

__"Right you may be." He thought for a moment, "Think you do, the council, blind it is?"_ _

__"I think that anyone who hasn't had their position challenged in a while could become complacent to what's happening around them, Jedi or not. Perhaps the reason you can't see the source of the dark side is because you can't find it within you to start looking. After all, to find something, you must first start searching." The old jedi seemed to ponder over those words until they reached the temple. He left them shortly after entering, making his way deeper into the temple._ _

__"Come on, I'll show you around a bit since we're here." She seemed to have a smile as he was pulled along._ _

__

__Three hours later and Shade was helping move a couple crates up to the negotiator, though he wasn't even sure what could be in them. He could see probably a dozen datapads scattered about, and a few small items, but he didn't think all of it was hers. Shade was getting a few humored looks from some of the men, but he found that he didn't really mind. He could never bring himself to mind if it was for her._ _

__He did find himself wondering, however, if he would be able to keep his feelings from interfering for as long as he needed to. Shade didn't think he would get reconditioned over them, Syntrian was far too kind to them do do such a thing, but he did fear the other jedi should they find out. He had always been on thin ice, as it were, growing up. The longnecks had made certain he knew this. His batch was an experiment, and as such were held to much stricter standards than the rest. Shade was pretty sure he was the only one left._ _


	65. Chapter 65

"Thanks for the help, now I just have a bunch of errands to run and then we can talk about how you managed to get the Jaig eyes." I rifled through the boxes, trying to find a couple specific 'pads. I had two or three that needed to go to medical, a couple for Buir and several more that I myself was suppose to look over. I wasn't sure I was going to do that though. Shade was gone by the time I found what I was looking for. I decided to drop of the ones for Obi-wan first, figuring that Jinx would probably keep me longer than I wanted to. 

Sadly that was over quickly, and I approach Medbay sooner than I would have liked. Surprisingly, it took a minute to find Jinx, and even then I got the sense he was hiding something? Or maybe he had a surprise for me? Either way it was strange. 

"Sir! I didn't know you were on board." He seemed on edge.

"It's alright, Jinx, I just got back." I chuckled, hoping he would calm down a bit. "I just came to give you these." I handed him the stack of 'pads. He shifted gears quiet visibly, and took a few moments to look them over. 

"Ahh, the healers reports on your condition." He mumbled, "I was looking forward to these... I can't get some of this myself." It was about then when Junk appeared from behind him, causing the poor medic to jump before scrambling for a reason for him to be here. Junk froze for a moment, then decided it wasn't worth it anymore. 

He seemed proud, "Sir!" Jinx seemed defeated. "If you wouldn't mind, I have a question."

"Never be afraid to ask. What is it?" I admit I was curious. 

"If you could be able to hear again, would you want to?" Well that certainly caught me off guard. So much so that it took me a moment to even think of a response. 

I turned to Jinx. "Didn't you tell me that was impossible? Besides the Jedi healers told me it was unlikely." 

"I believe I said I didn't have the things to fix it at the time. Junk figured out a way." He motioned to said man, who only seemed to grow prouder. 

"Jinx came to me a while ago with the idea. I was able to figure something out and even got the General to approve the request for the materials I needed." I raised an eyebrow, now impressed. I thought it over. "Think it over, I still have a few things to tweak, and it looks like you still have some things to do yet today." It was then that Jinx grabbed onto me, and all but dragged me over to one of the open beds. Shit. Looks like I've been dragged into an involuntary examination. 

He started poking and prodding me, asking questions and looking over the new information he received. I sighed, cursing my luck. I had a lot on my mind at the moment, and sorting through it was proving difficult. The medic was droning on around me, focusing more than I was. 

Suddenly, he pulled me away from my thoughts. “Sir, are you alright? You’ve been rather quiet.” I paused, not answering he question. 

“Did you guys really go through all that effort for me?” I seemed to surprise him. 

He chuckled, “Sir, with all due respect, there’s no reason why we wouldn’t. You’ve proven time and again that you care about keeping us alive and healthy. Why wouldn’t we do the same?” Somewhere in my mind I wasn’t convinced. 

“Isn’t it part of your job though? Wouldn’t giving your commanding officer the best you can be your job?” It was almost imperceptible. 

I lifted my gaze to find a rather shocked expression on Jinx. “Sir!” He paused, angered by the assumption, “We do these things for you, because we want to. No where in any regs, does it imply that we should be spending our free time to make up a way to fix a medical problem. Hell, I doubt the longnecks would have even thought we would be able to do some of these things.” 

“Alright.” I smiled at last, “Let’s do it.” He seemed relieved, though that anger never fully went away. I got the feeling it would come back later. Nonetheless, he seemed happy enough for the moment. 

“Thank you, Sir. I’ll call you when Junk’s finished.” He smiled, “You can go for now, I’m sure the others are waiting to see you.” He collected the last bits of information he needed as I got up and left. 

I had hardly taken two steps out of the medbay before someone got my attention.

“Sir! Your back!” It was Waxer. Boil followed behind him. 

“You’ve been missed Commander.” It was then when Waxer got an idea. He seemed giddy, and pulled Boil along with him. As quickly as they appeared, they were gone. 

I continued towards my quarters, surprisingly not getting stopped again. I sighed making sure the light was on before I entered, the apprehension I felt was the complete opposite of the happy buzzing I was getting from the rest of the ship. I felt little ease once the door closed behind me. I took a few deep breaths, centering myself before digging into the pile of 'pads I had collected. Several of them were copies of texts from the archives. I had done some thinking over how to improve the abilities of my men, and came up with something. Whether or not it works out is yet to be seen. The other few that were left... Those were a different matter entirely. They were some of Vall's personal journal entries the council felt I should see. I wasn't sure I would be able to handle that. Not now any way. 

It was nearly an hour later when I was disturbed. Shade had come to see how I was doing, and ended up asking what I was looking at. I explained my thoughts, about how I wanted the men to be able to efficiently fight against whatever they might come up against, and that I was prepared to train them myself if I had to. He beamed, and I found that I could finally put a name to the emotion he kept broadcasting. I was surprised, and wasn't sure if I deserved it. 

Nonetheless, I gave off a small smile of my own, and we went to one of the training rooms. The only thing we wanted to work on was trying to figure out what would help and what wouldn't from experience, we knew that it would probably take most of them to beat me, if it was purely hand to hand. I decided to test him for a bit, see exactly what I had to work with. It would be good to spar without the healers breathing down my neck.

We were both on the floor, exhausted, by the time Jinx contacted me. He asked if I would be able to come over yet tonight, which surprised me as I hadn't noticed how late it had gotten. Twenty three forty seven. Well, I wasn't expecting that. I shot him a reply, and went to clean up a bit before I went over. Shade walked with my back to our quarters, apparently just happy to be by me. I found myself smile at the thought that the act itself was rather cute. 

We departed soon though, and it only took me a few minutes to get cleaned up. I needed a few deep, steadying breaths before I went back out there. I found myself growing anxious. Thoughts swirling in my head, contradicting one another. Still, I went on my way, walking slower than normal perhaps, but still deep in thought as I made my way there. 

Jinx met me at the door, ready. I took a few more deep breaths, trying to silence the doubts in my head. None of them would be helpful right now, and all of them went against my decision. 

Shade was busy looking over a few of the pads Syntrian had been referencing. Over all, they seemed to be leading to something, though he wasn't entirely certain what. He had a few lingering thoughts about who would struggle with what, and which few to start with, but he wouldn't get any further tonight. If he was still up when Jinx came back, the medic wouldn't hesitate to sedate him.


	66. Chapter 66

The next day had come quickly, by the time I awoke, I was informed that we were already off to our next mission. Jinx and Junk had spent nearly an hour fine tuning before I was allowed to leave, though I had to admit, I was impressed. I found myself lost for words, having not expected to get this back. Though I found the ambient noise the cruiser made was a bit distracting. 

None of that mattered though, as Buir had asked to see me when I had a chance. I had a smile on my face as I made my way through the ship, catching things here and there I hadn't been able to. I enjoyed it, though the amusement I was getting from the men was almost as enjoyable. I was almost sad I arrived at the bridge when I did. 

"Syntrian, now that you're here, we can go over our next mission." He waved me over to the holotable. It didn't look like a battle. 

"What's this?" I raised an eyebrow, "Are we looking for something?" Looking over the table, it seemed like a simple mission. 

"We've been assigned a scouting mission, though we were told not to engage in battle as we need to wait for backup."

"Why now? Does the council not want to put me back into battle yet?" He agreed reluctantly. I sighed, of course they don't. 

"Why don't we spar for a bit. We have some time before we get there." He changed the subject. "I heard you gave your captain quiet the thrashing last night."

I laughed. "You shouldn't discount him yet. Watch, he may just surprise you." We walked for a few minutes, and found an empty training room. Buir seemed happy, though something was on his mind. No matter, it wasn't important at the moment. It only took a few minutes to prepare, though he insisted we warm up a bit first. 

Soon enough, we began, and I could tell he wasn't ready for this. I had learned a lot over the last month, and much of that was with the force. I pulled my saber from my belt, and rushed him, keeping it off for the moment. Releasing the second one to float menacingly nearby, I struck with the first, only activating the blade the moment before contact would have been made. 

He took a single step back, having been unaware of the force I had backing the blow. I backed off just as quick, then repeated the process a few times. I took a few more swings, then decided it was time to switch things up a bit. 

Two hours later found the end of the session. Frustration bubbled, Buir didn't even seem winded. Meanwhile, I was on the floor, out of breath and exhausted. I cursed under my breath, and pushed myself up. He came over to me with that thoughtful look in his eyes. 

"It certainly seems you've improved." He out his hand on my shoulder, though I wasn't too sure how I felt about that. He seemed happy enough at the moment though, and that was alright. 

"I still couldn't land a hit on you though." 

He chuckled, a smile on his face, "I've simply mastered my fighting style. I'm sure in time, you'll be able to do the same. You've grown so much in the past few months, and I'm sure you'll keep it up in the years to come." I sensed the coming visitors before I heard them. It seemed like someone had something to talk about. Buir decided we were going to break for lunch, I found it weird. He only seems to take care of himself when he's trying to do the same for someone else. 

We ended up being joined by Cody and Shade as we made our way to the mess. They seemed happy enough, though I got the feeling something mischievous was waiting for us in the mess. Waxer and Boil were both projecting more than usual. We didn't have to wait long though, as upon entering the mess, they seemed to be having a contest of some sort. 

Then I was pulled into it, and it seemed we were having a drinking contest again. I shot a glance over to Buir, and the men. The jedi just chuckled, and pushed the men into it. 

"Don't get too drunk now, we do have a mission coming up." He stated, obviously amused by the situation. He disappeared a moment later, and bets started rolling in. Shade was confused as to what was going on. Cody on the other hand, he was trying to figure a way out of the mess that was going to start. 

"Sir!" Waxer called out. "You've got to show the Shinies what you can do! No one believes us that you can out drink any trooper!"

"Yeah!" Boil chimed in. "No one else is any challenge!" 

I couldn't help but laugh at them. "It's not a challenge if you've completely outpaced your opposition." By now, Shade was giving me a weird look. 

"Sir?" He questioned. 

"Ah, give it up. She's been challenged and I don't think we can get her to back down. Might as well get comfortable." 

The next day come almost too quickly, and though several of the squads were still nursing hangovers from the night before, Syntrian wore her victory over them like a badge of pride. If nothing else, no one would doubt the jedi again. They went over their still mostly vague plan as they found their way to the gunships. The conversation was wrapping up when Obi-wan mentioned something only mildly important. 

"Don't forget, Syntrian. This planet gets below freezing once night falls. Use the force to warm yourself if you find yourself trapped out there."

The padawan sighed. "You didn't read the datapads I gave you..." 

It took the jedi master a few moments to find anything to say to that. "Unfortunately, I was busy with other things." He almost seemed embarrassed. "Care to tell me what was on them that I missed."

Syntrain frustratedly began explaining. "While I was at the temple, some of the other council members felt I had fallen behind in my force training. They spent a good two weeks or so training me. In that time, we figured out that I can't use more than the basic abilities because of the nature of my connection."

Kenobi stroked his beard thoughtfully. "That complicates things, but it should affect us too much." The troopers were mostly confused by the jedi speak, but figured that if anything came up, they'd get through it.

"What are we doing here anyway? There doesn't seem to be a separatist presence anywhere near here, and I can't think of anything here worth having."

Obi-wan's demeanor changed a bit. "While it's true that we're here on a scouting mission, there's also an indigenous population here that we believe may be under separatist control. We think they're looking for an ancient force artifact hidden in an old temple somewhere in this system." 

"So we're just going to search every planet one by one? A waste of time, if you ask me." Shade stated, unafraid of any retribution. 

"I understand where you're coming from, captain. Yet until we find what we came here for, we won't be given another mission. It's important to the jedi council that we find it."

"Fine." growled Syntrian. She was perhaps more annoyed than the captain at the moment. They stepped into the gunships, and soon they were off to the first planet for their search. Most occupants of the craft hoped something interesting would happen, but they certainly weren't prepared for what they were about to encounter. 

It wasn't long before we were sent out on a scouting mission. We hadn't seen any trouble for the first couple of hours, so we decided to start heading back before it got dark. The sun was already starting to set over the horizon, and there was a distinct chill in the air. I sighed, motioning to the men that we were going to head back. If we couldn't find anything this far out, we would have to pick up camp and move further in, which meant that we were going to be here longer. 

Then, as the slowly freezing dirt crunched under my boots, and the green sky turned to a deep purple, I caught what sounded like a bomb heading straight for us. I froze, trying to find it. It wouldn't due to run closer to it. Then It was nearly on us, and I felt myself getting pushed to the ground, one of my troopers on top of me, and the blast went off a moment later. 


	67. Chapter 67

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit dark. You have been warned.

The next thing I was aware of, was that something was on top of me, and there was something wet dripping down on my face. It was also dim, and we seemed to have fallen into a cave system of some sort. I could hear groans from the men around me, so it wounded like they were alright. Reaching out, I mentally checked that they were all there. One, two three, four, five, six, seven, eight... Wait, where's the other one. I went back over them more carefully this time. Shade, check. Joha, Jinx and Junk, check. Sketch and Stunner, check. Klicks, check. Hellfire? Check. Vos?

Suddenly I was sitting, realization hitting me. I wiped away whatever it was that had been dripping on my face, as I pushed the body off me. I froze, unsure how to process the sight in front of me. I swallowed hard, and looked away for a moment, checking over the rest of them. None of them had serious injuries beyond a few burns or a broken bone here and there, nothing like Vos had. I took a moment to steady myself, and looked back to the body in front of me. My eyes were wide, and unfocused, so it made it hard to take in the scene before me. I managed it somehow.

His helmet had been all but torn in half, and part of his skull had been ripped off. I had to take a few moments before I realized what had been dripping on my face was a mix of body fluids and brain matter. I risked a glance down to my clothes, only to find them stained and coated in chunks from my sudden movements. I had to take a moment to steady myself before I recognised that the force was trying to tell me something. It bid me to look closer into his partly removed head, and I started to get a strange cold feeling. It was just a small spot, but the unmistakable signature of the dark side was there. 

I focused, and pulled at the bit, trying to see if I could find it. I could hear the others around me now, trying to talk with me, but I was too focused to understand. Then, I felt something pop out, and began to float before me. I got as good of a look as I could in the rapidly dimming light, but whatever it was, only looked to be half intact. 

"Sir!?" I finally registered. "What are you doing?" It took me a moment to respond, and I found that I had to spit out a few bits of what was probably brain before I could find my words. 

"I..." I was stumbling as things started to catch up with me. "Vos... He saved me.... He..."

A hand landed on my shoulder. "It's alright..." It began softly, "We'll work through this later if you need." Oh, so it was Shade who was talking. This was getting off track though, wasn't it. 

I shook my head, putting that away for the moment. "Jinx, Junk?" I called, my voice softer than I had thought it would be. 

"Sir?" They responded. 

I moved the piece towards them. "Whatever this is, it was in his head. Try to figure out what it was when you get the chance. I..." I froze realizing it had gotten dark. I was only vaguely aware of them taking the chunk off me while I looked around. I hadn't been aware how dark it would have gotten here. The rubble fell around us, closing off most of the exits. I was only aware that there was movement around me, flashbacks playing in my mind. Not like this.... not again. 

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I registered that I had been pricked by something. Slowly, ever so slowly, the panic began to fade, and I was able to bring my rapid breathing under control. I hadn't even realised it had started. I wasn't sure how long it was until I could make out the shapes in front of me. But it was about then when I noticed I was freezing.

"Sir!" Jink stated, making no effort to conceal the concern he was feeling. "Are you alright? You had us scared for a minute."

"I..." I found myself lost for words. "I.. um.. S-sorry, 'bout that....." I mumbled. I wasn't sure what to tell him. On one hand, I'm sure my reaction could be perceived as explainable if it was just about Vos. In fact that would have made perfect sense to most. But that wasn't the problem, and I wasn't interested in being restrained to medbay for the foreseeable future if I told him the real reason for the sudden panic.

"It's alright, sir." He spoke in the way I had seen him do before, when it came to some of the younger troopers. "Anyone would react the same if they found themselves in that position." Some part of me wanted to tell him he was wrong, yet there was a certain fear that was keeping me from doing so. The sharp glare I was getting from Shade told me this wasn't going to just be left here. he knew my reactions well enough that he probably had a better idea what was going on. I don't think he had the whole thing though, and that was the only thing I had working for me at the minute. 

"If we don't get out of here soon, we're going to have a bigger problem. I can see from here that the commander is freezing and we don't have much on us to generate heat." Stunner stated from across the space. In that moment, I allowed myself to look over the couple of men that weren't surrounding me, and found that Joha was scarily silent. That's right. The two of them were close, weren't they. 

We looked through our meager supplies while Jinx explained that he had hit me with a light sedative in the hopes I would calm down enough to figure a way out of this. We were a good two or three hours off from the main camp, and Buir. So the odds that we would be found or make it there before something bad started were nearly impossible. Jinx explained that we had been down here for a couple hours already, and they figured out that we weren't able to climb out. I eyed the side of the hole at that, but I didn't think I would be able to jump out. If it was ten feet lower than sure, but I doubted even Buir would be able to make it. 

After a few minutes, we met back up to see if we had any ideas, and none of them were very good. No one was able to come up with anything solid to solve our first problem, and even they were starting to feel the effects of the cold. I glanced around wistfully, and ended my gaze on Vos's body. It was about this time when I started to lose feeling on my hand, the metal prosthetic freezing over 

“Sir, we weren’t prepared to be out here this late. The nights on this planet get down to negative thirty on a good night. If we don’t figure something out, we will most likely freeze before general Kenobi reaches us in the morning.” Jinx stated blatantly.

"I... I have an idea." I stated suddenly. The rest of them followed my gaze. 

“Are you thinking what I am?” One of them stated solemnly. I was having trouble keeping them all straight at the moment, frost and static beginning to cover my hearing. 

A heavy sigh, “Come on, if we bring it over towards the center we should be able to keep it going once it’s started.” A couple of them dragged Vos’s body over, and began stripping his armor off, mumbling something about it not burning well. There was still the problem of light in got though. 

“What if we overcharged one of our spare blaster packs? It might produce enough heat to get it started.” They discussed it amongst themselves for a few moments, departing if it would actually work or not. Soon enough, they decided they had nothing to lose by trying it. I was lead over to one side, and Jinx was trying to get a better look, most likely trying to see if I was injured. 

It wasn't much longer before they succeeded, the the stench of burning flesh started to fill the air. The warmth, however, was a welcome relief. I was only starting to warm up by the time I was able to focus properly. The medic was looking at me worriedly. Oh, he must have asked me something.

"'M sorry?"

"I was just asking if you were injured, sir." I thought for a moment, but I didn't have the energy to hid anything at the moment. I held out my right hand, unable to move it for the most part. Jinx looked concerned, and took a few minutes to look it over. I heard him curse, and muttered something about frostbite before digging in his pack for something. I could hear the soft murmurs as the rest of them said a few words in mando'a and a few in basic. I didn't quite get the deeper meanings, but I understood the intent.


	68. Chapter 68

Jinx had spent a good hour or two checking up on the others once he had finished with me. Most of them had some form of injury, including Jinx himself. I could see him limping as he made his rounds. If only he would stop and rest like he insisted we did. It was making me antsy, or perhaps it was the darkness surrounding us. The firelight did little to suppress the near panic I was feeling, and the cold dark of the pit we were stuck in was pressing in on me. 

The steady click of Junk working on the comms was one of the few things keeping me from panicking. They were either destroyed or heavily damaged in the blast. He had taken them all and was trying to mesh together any working parts. Hopefully he would be able to get it working soon, Buir wouldn't be able to find us otherwise and I would rather not be stuck here for the next several days while they send out search parties. 

Shade had made his way over to me at some point, earning the ire of the wounded medic. His presence was comforting, though I sensed that it had something more to it than just wanting to check on me. I shifted in place, and winced as I found that I had at least two broken ribs. Shade did the little he could at the moment, scooting a bit closer and holding me a bit tighter than necessary. I could tell the act was hurting him, having a broken rib of his own along with several light burns. 

"Try to get some rest," He whispered. "The boys and I will keep watch." I took a look up at the sky, noting the twin moons were high overhead. I took another look around, noting that everyone else seems to have paired off, one asleep while the other kept watch. The only exception was Junk who was very nearly falling asleep while he worked, even Jinx had passed out alongside his vod. 

An unexpected yawn betrayed how tired I was, "I guess I could try..." I mumbled, closing my eyes. I didn't think much would come of it, but it wouldn't due to worry them unnecessarily. Surprisingly, sleep found me.

When I woke next, I was surprised that I hadn't jerked awake due to another nightmare. Infact, my sleep was dreamless, and I thanked the force for small mercies. Shade had fallen asleep at some point, and was currently sleeping deeply. Most of the others were asleep, Joha being the exception. I felt grief flowing off the man in waves. It was obvious he was feeling the loss of his best friend. He was staring, grief coating his expression as he gazed into the cracked, broken visor of the partial helmet that was shining vaguely in the dim light from the few tears that had fallen on it. 

Part of me felt guilty. If Vos hadn't protected me, he would probably still be alive right now. The fact that I would have probably died didn't even bother me at that point. I wondered if anyone would grieve for me like that. Shade, maybe? I'm not sure. It was clear that whatever relationship the two had, was much deeper than I had been able to figure out, and I doubted I was even worth such a thing. 

It was nearly daybreak by the time the others woke, the embers left behind slowly flittering out. Jinx had gotten up stiffly, wincing as he put pressure on what was probably a broken leg. It was impressive enough he was able to stand at this point, considering I could see a few burns and a deep cut in his side. I would wager to bet that he had given himself the bare minimum treatment after getting to the rest of us. He made his rounds, checking over everyone. 

Junk was still ticking away at the pile of comm parts, and it seemed like he was making progress. He seemed to be one of the less injured, though I was getting a muffled pain feeling from him. He was hiding it well from Jinx though, and I could tell it was annoying the medic. Junkpile just kept working when the medic got to him, stating that if he didn't finish what he was doing, then there was a good chance we wouldn't be getting out of this hole anytime soon. 

Thanks to the rising sun, I was able to get a better hold on the situation. Joha seemed mostly alright, other than the jarring break in his left arm. Klicks looked to be in the worse shape, lying on his back unmovingly. Had I not been able to feel him in the force I would think he was dead. Sketch apparently had a deep gash cutting across his arm and bound tightly as well as several burns. He must have been closer to the blast than the others. 

"Who is this?" Came through suddenly, and all eyes were on Junk. His shit eating smirk was all that was needed as he came up with his response. 

"Commander!" He stated. "It's good to hear your voice, sir." We could hear them muttering about something, but from my spot, it was hard for even me to catch it all. 

Eventually, the conversation grew a bit louder, "We'll get over to you as soon as we can, though it could take a while to get any equipment over there." Buir stated. "It's possible you'll have to spend another night out there." The moral drop that occured was easier to feel than the force itself in that moment. 

"I send a couple of scouts over to drop off supplies." Cody stated. "Should be enough to get you lot through the night. Won't be till early tomorrow till we can get anything over there to get you out." Things only got slightly better for the moment as the call ended. 

"Seems like we're stuck here." Jinx sighed heavily, making his way over to Klicks. I could only assume he wanted to keep an eye on him, being the most injured out of us all. I sighed, wishing I had the ability to get us all out of here. But even if I did, how far would we really be able to make it? 

My thoughts were interrupted to Shade shuffling around, and pushing something into my hands. "Eat. It won't do anyone any good if you don't." I looked down to the ration bar, then back to him. I waited until he had grabbed one for himself before starting in on it, the bland taste making my stomach churn. It was quiet for a bit, though there was a general uneasy feeling flowing through the force. I couldn't blame them, as I was feeling much the same. 

Shade adjusted himself again, removing his arm from around me. He was contemplating something, it was easy enough to see with how his brow furrowed and his bright blue eyes searched for something that wasn't there. 

"What's up?" I prodded. 

It took him a moment, then he gave me a soft smile. "Morals low. It's generally accepted among most of the vode that if you get into something like this, you won't be getting out." 

"Even with a General like Buir?" The inquiry seemed to amuse him a bit. 

"Kenobi's better than what most general's are like from what we've heard. Still though, I doubt that we would have had a chance if you weren't here." There was a certain sense of acceptance in his tone that hit me wrong. 

I thought for a few moments, "Do you think there's anything to be done about this mood? I'd hate to see my aliit like this." He smiled softly, but warmly. It was the first good thing that's happened on the force damned planet. 

"I'm not sure about them, but I think I could change at least two people's moods." He stated, "Care to hear a story?" I must not have concealed anything in that moment, as he chuckled, and moved so he was able to look at me better. I thought to do the same, but found my ribs protesting. 

"Alright, so how about we start with the one of the missions we went on while you were away?" I heard a few amused grunts from the others, and he considered where to start.


	69. Chapter 69

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Story time while in a hole. :)

Shade needed a moment to figure out where to begin his tale. He wanted to be able to explain why he had earned the marks he did, but he wasn't entirely sure why he had them in the first place. Eventually though, he figured out some form of starting point. 

"After you were taken to the jedi temple, we ended up being deployed to Geonosis alongside the 212th and General Kenobi. The plan was simple enough, and we were going to help out as a special reserve until at first. It became apparent rather quickly, however, that it wasn't going to be possible. See, I had managed to catch part of a transmission, where I learned they had wanted to send the boys in beside you to gather intel, but they couldn't. We ended up getting sorted into a couple different squads. 

I ended up being paired with Jinx and a few boys from the 212th, most of them were shinies. Everything went smoothly until we tried to land. See, Jinx and I, we were near the end of Kenobi's troops, and we ended up getting shot down. We crashed, somehow landing in the entrance to some of the bugs caves. With that entrance blocked off, we only had one place to go. 

It took a while before we were able to move though. Most of the shinies were injured, I myself got off rather easily with just a few scratches. out of the twelve men we had, I think three of them died on impact or shortly after. It took a while before Jinx was able to double check that everyone could move. It took us a few minutes to get the door open, and for us to get into the tunnels. 

I lead them for a little bit, trying to get them quiet. The bugs kept responding to sounds, and we had a couple dangerously wounded shinies with us. Jinx gave the boys some sedatives, trying to keep them quiet, but there was little to be done once the bugs were on us. The first couple of waves weren't too bad, and we somehow managed to get them off us. But when we started to get deeper into the tunnels, and somehow towards an exit, things started to get tricker.

We stopped by an smaller outcropping for a moment, and all we could hear around us were those damned bugs. It was looking pretty bad at that point. I remember sighing, and flicking off the lights on my helmet to use night vision. If we were going down I at least wanted to see them coming. Strangely, the chittering around us seemed to calm a bit. I realized that it was something to do with the light, and made the others do the same. 

We only had a few more incidents leading up to the end of those tunnels. There was a swarm blocking the exit. There wasn’t anything we would have accomplished by firing randomly. We waited, observing them. We managed to see a moment, every half hour or so, where the swarm was thinner. The next time it showed itself we were making our move. 

I had to think, a remembered that it was still fairly dark, even this close to the exit. I knew we wouldn’t be able to kill them all, so the next best thing was to incapacitate them. I prepared a flair, and told the boys to get ready. The moment I set it off, the night vision was deactivated, and we waited till it fully went off to make a run for it. The bugs were stunned long enough for us to exit. 

As we exited, we somehow ended up meeting up with Skywalker. The general seemed honestly surprised that we had just come through the tunnels on our own. We were just glad to be in one piece as we went to join the rest of the attack.” He had a more awkward smile on his face as he finished. It took me a moment to figure out he was waiting for a reaction. 

“What the captain missed is that he had dislocated his knee when we crashed and didn’t think it important enough to tell me until we made it off world.” Jinx added. “Had to drag him in when I saw he was limping before he went off to do something else. I already have to deal with you, commander. I don’t need another one.” I sent an amused smirk towards my captain. Apparently he was starting to pick up my habits. 

After a minute or two, I spoke up. “So how’d you get those markings?”

“Thats the thing,” Junk stated. “When we got ship side, Rex and Cody wanted to speak to him. We had thought it odd, but Jinx wouldn’t let him go until he was done with him. When Shadey here came back,” I managed to catch a slight flinch from said man. “He was quite and wouldn’t tell us what happened. We only found out a few hours later when Sketch found him repainting his bucket.” I took that new information in, as well as the barley noticeable flinch. That worried me a bit, as I was no stranger to that kind of thing.

Everything was silent for a few minutes, the Sketch spoke up. “I was wondering, Sir. I know natborns get named by their parents, but is there any significance to them? Cause with us, our names help define who we are. I was curious if it was the same for you.” Now that was an odd question. 

I had to think for a minute, trying to figure out the best way to explain it. “Some do, I believe. A child can be named after many things, something there parents loved, an inspiration, sometimes an old lover. Some people even take parts of their own names and combine them together to form a new one. Others have no meaning at all.” I wondered if that made sense or not. 

“How’d yours come about, if you don’t mind me asking?” Shade stated. “From what I remember, your parents died when you were young, and I doubt you would have remembered it.”

”It’s quite alright, Shade. You’re right, I didn’t have a name, not until I was four. But that’s the tradition on my home world. Children of the royal family have their names annoyed at a public ceremony when they turn four. Since my parents had died, and I was running around the woodland surrounding the town, it was a bit different for me. One of my earliest memories is the day I met Buir. He had crashed on the planet and had heard rumors which lead him to me. 

It took him a minute to catch me, but then I was taken to the governor where he explained what was happening. I think it was the next day, when I finally found out what my name was. I asked him about it a few years later, and he explained that he had been tasked with figuring it out. Said he just thought of something on the fly and worked it until it sounded better.” I paused, then it was my turn to ask. “Since we’re on the topic, how’d you all get yours?” I admit, I was curious about the ones that weren’t immediately obvious. 

“I think it’s pretty obvious.” Junk stated. The statement earned a couple chuckles as he went back to whatever he was doing to his helmet. 

“Use to be, the others teased me about being a curse. Use to be real shaky as a cadet. Said I’d jinx em once we got out on the field. No one wanted to be teamed with the unsteady medic.” Said medic look ever so slightly sad. 

Sketch was next, and he seemed unsteady. “Well sir. You named me.” I was surprised. “It was during that time the generals and you got turned into cadets.” I wasn’t sure what to say to that, and the conversation moved on. 

Apparently Hellfire was named because only a demon would be able to survive one he got started. Junk then told the story of how Klicks had set a record for the furthest perfect shot in Tipoca city. 

“Joha was named for his ability to pick up languages.” Makes sense. If I remember correctly, joha is the Mandalorian word for language. 

Stunner sighed, “Guess I’m next.” A pause. “Back on Kamino, I was one of the best in hand to hand. The trainers kept getting made at me because my opponents kept getting knocked down, and would stay on the floor unmoving for several minutes before they were able to get back up.” Then, all eyes were on Shade. 

He was hesitant. “I don’t particularly like to talk about it, but I feel like I owe you this much after everything you’ve told me.” He stated aiming it towards me. “It started a long time ago, back when I was still with my batch mates. We were told right at the beginning that we were experimental, and it was most obvious when it came to my vode. I never really fit with them, but that's something for another time. When we would have drills with some of the others, they usually sneered and teased us when the trainers weren’t looking. As time passed, and my batch mates began disappearing until I was the only one left, they started telling me how it was shady that I was the only one left. Started to think I was a snitch. Soon no one wanted me on their squad. I got switched between them countless times by the time the final came around. I passed with some of the highest scores since I worked harder than most because of the constant transfers. A week before that, I had become known as someone shady, though I didn’t deserve it. I finally got a couple of my latest squad mates to cut it, started calling me Shade instead. I guess I should be glad they didn't start calling me Snitch...” He trailed off, and I could tell it had taken a lot for him to say that. 

“Good to see I’m not the only one here who had a shitty childhood of being a bullied outcast.” I only half mumbled the joke, but Shade heard all the same. 

“Guess we really do work well together.” He added, lighter than before.


End file.
